Waveland Press - Forces of Deviance

An informative look at a very difficult topic! The discretion, authority, and power granted the police to accomplish their mission offer multiple opportunities for deviance. This revised edition effectively organizes a large amount of material in order to provide students with a timely and comprehensive review of this disturbing dimension of police organizations. The authors’ analysis of deviance as the product of the organization of the occupation, the expectations of society, and the perceptions and interpretations of the role of the police are compellingly presented. A fascinating portrait of the social and organizational factors of the police working environment emerges, providing students with a broad framework for assessing the police culture and the many forms of police deviance.

“This text is a refreshing approach for anyone serious about the study of policing. It provides the reader with a critical awareness of the social realities inside the police. This text fills a void that is often overlooked in the study of policing. It is a long-overdue text.” — David M. Baker, York University

“Nice combination of history, statistics, and actual incidents of police deviance. Student interest was maintained from cover to cover. Very enjoyable!” — John Maxwell, Villanova University

“An excellent text for the increasingly important field of ethics in criminal justice! Very attractive for either grad or undergrad courses.” — Price Foster, University of Louisville

“As a twenty-three-year veteran police officer . . . I found it to be insightful, well-researched and, best of all, factual. It is a gutsy look into that piece (albeit small) of the law enforcement pie we would rather not acknowledge exists.” — Christopher Fay, Ashville-Buncombe Technical Community College

“This is the best text and supporting material that I have found so far on the subject of police ethics.” — Joseph Ward, Naugatuck Valley Community College

1. The Idea of Police Deviance: Definitions, Perceptions and Concerns
2. A History of Police Deviance: The Forging of an Occupation
3. The Working Environment: Organizing and Structuring Police Deviance
4. Breeding Deviant Conformity: The Ideology and Culture of Police
5. Learning to Deviate: Motive and Justification for Breaking Normative Bonds
6. Police Brutality and Abuse of Authority: Making Sense of the Senseless Beating of Rodney King
7. Police Prejudice and Discrimination: The Investigation of Jeffrey Dahmer
8. Drug-Related Police Deviance: The Buddy Boys Case
9. Varieties of Police Deviance: The District of Columbia’s Metropolitan Police
10. Influencing Police Deviance and Corruption: Internal and External Controls
11. Prospects for Controlling Deviance: Forging the Boundaries of Police Behavior