Police reform: Who done it?

Abstract

This paper examines nine innovations in American policing since the report of the President's Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice (1967) - community-oriented policing, problem-oriented policing, signs-of-crime policing, hot-spots policing, mandatory arrest for spouse assault, enhancement of internal discipline, external oversight, COMPSTAT, and increased diversity of personnel. These innovations occurred from the top-down within policing and were not the product of collaboration with the rank-and-file. In all but two cases, innovations were not instigated by the police themselves but were formulated by people outside the police and brought to the police for adoption. I conclude that innovation occurred because of a system of collaboration between police and civil society that is unique in the world and was itself instigated by far-sighted police leaders.

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