Nearly every criminal justice program has some type of introductory course.
In some instances, the course is an introduction to the criminal justice
system and in others it is an introduction to policing. Although some
universities and colleges call these courses by another name, like The
Enforcement Function, there is usually an introductory course. The
authors propose to produce a text book for this market using two unique
approaches. First, the story of policing is told against a backdrop of
recurring themes. These themes are actually major issues which are threaded
throughout policing.
They have a place in
nearly every chapter. Moreover, this is a unique pedagogical approach
designed to reinforce learning and encourage exploration. The proposed ten
themes are: Probable Cause and Reasonable Suspicion, Crime Scene Management,
Apprenticeship Model, Ethics, Officer Safety, Technology, Problem Solving,
Communication Skills, Future Issues and Current Events.
In addition to the idea of recurring themes, the
authors bring two distinct and unique perspectives to the work. Both are
long time practitioners and highly qualified academics. Moreover, OKeefe
has significant experience with the New York Police Department (NYPD) while
Foster has similar experience with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).
Again, from a pedagogical standpoint, the authors intend to use the
differences and similarities between the nations two largest police forces
as a means to compare and contrast the recurring themes and chapter
subjects. For instance, most text books used for introductory courses have a
section on recruitment, selection and hiring. In this work, the information
on recruitment, selection and hiring is reinforced and further explored
against the backdrop of themes like ethics, officer safety and
communications skills. Moreover, the authors will compare and contrast the
differences and similarities in practices between the two major
organizations.
