Community Policing : A Handbook for Beat Cops and Supervisors (Criminal Justice Press Project) [Paperback]

Howard Rahtz (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1881798291 | ISBN-13: 978-1881798293 | Publication Date: May 1, 2001

This practical and clearly written manual explains the advantages and "how to" of effective community policing. Lt. Rahtz describes many examples of successful community policing, drawn from his own distinguished career as a Cincinnati police officer and manager, and from the research literature.

In community policing, patrol officers enlist community members as partners in solving local problems that breed crime and disorder. This does not mean that community policing is the same as "social work," "public relations" or being "soft on crime." To the contrary, working cooperatively with the community can help patrol officers become more effective in preventing and solving crimes. And community policing is usually more satisfying and less frustrating for the cop on the beat than the "treadmill" of chasing radio calls.

Community policing is neither complicated nor difficult to put into practice, according to Lt. Rahtz. The author offers step-by-step guidance for forging productive partnerships between patrol officers and community members. He then illustrates the use of problem-solving methods in community policing, and outlines the key supporting roles played by police supervisors and administrators. A wealth of suggestions and resources are provided to illustrate how officers can get started with effective community policing.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"As an easy-to-read handbook this is a worthwhile addition to the literature from a practitioner's perspective." -- Crime & Justice International, July/August 2001

"The author has done a great job of explaining the benefits of COP from the perspective of the beat cop." -- Vernon Chenevey, executive director of the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission

"This book is an easy `in cruiser' read, and it presents Community Policing in a manner that's supportable." -- Noel March, The Law Enforcement Trainer, November/December 2001

"This wonderful introduction to the practice of community policing should be read by all police officials..." -- Prof. John Eck of the University of Cincinnati

About the Author

Howard Rahtz is a lieutenant with the Cincinnati Police Division. He is currently assigned to the Police Academy. He previously served as a beat officer, patrol supervisor, supervisor in the department's Community Oriented Policing Program, Assistant Director of the Planning and Research Section, and shift commander.

In 1997, Lt. Rahtz received the Hamilton County (Ohio) Police Association Award for Contributions to Law Enforcement. He is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Cincinnati, and a trainer for the Tri-State Regional Community Policing Institute.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 141 pages
• Publisher: Criminal Justice Pr (May 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1881798291
• ISBN-13: 978-1881798293
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,336,332 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rahtz Gets It Right, August 30, 2001

By 

acmarch (Cincinnati, OH United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Community Policing : A Handbook for Beat Cops and Supervisors (Criminal Justice Press Project) (Paperback)

Howard Rahtz has made community policing accessible for the beat cop. His handbook cites real-world examples of how community policing works. He also cites research to back the examples, but he doesn't get bogged down in statistics or academics. This is a primer. Every new cop should read this in the police academy. Every veteran cop should too. And supervisors should refer to it regularly.
I've taught community policing classes for years. This handbook does in less than 150 pages what I've tried to get done in hours and hours of classes. This handbook explains in simple terms that community policing is a philosphy of action. It makes the SARA model of problem solving easy to understand. Howard Rahtz obviously knows his topic and he writes in easy to read, street cop language.
This book doesn't belong on the shelf. It should be on your desk, in your briefcase, or in your hands. And it should be read by every community leader, from the elected officials to those volunteers who are so vital to making community policing work.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Insight and Easy to Digest, February 6, 2007

By 

C. Nocon "CJN" (CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Community Policing : A Handbook for Beat Cops and Supervisors (Criminal Justice Press Project) (Paperback)

The format of this book is extremely easy to follow. The examples, descriptions, and remedies from Mr. Rahtz are excellent. I am not in law enforcement, nor do I have a degree in Administration of Justice, but what I can offer you, concerning this book, is this: this book gives the average citizen a good look into what community oriented policing is all about. Mr. Rahtz does mention that there are other definitions and other styles of community policing that are currently being practiced by other agencies. His book is one of many, but one that should be noticed. Mr. Rahtz introduces the reader to two approaches in policing: the old way of policing, and then there's the new approach - community oriented policing. The author advocates for the new way and makes his claim that the new is more productive and shows (with examples) that it actually works. Later in the book, he gives the supervisor tips on how to effectively apply community oriented policing in the leadership role. Many police officers may think that they have a good understanding of what community policing is, or that some may be resistant to the whole idea of community policing, but these concepts and ideas, encapsulated in this short read, is a good reminder to the veteran police officer and to the skeptics that learing, training, leadership and being connected to your community is a never ending process. If you're thinking about law enforcement as a new career, if you're currently in the academy, or if you're a veteran police officer, this book is worth the money and the time to read.

5.0 out of 5 stars Review from a citizen, June 15, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Community Policing : A Handbook for Beat Cops and Supervisors (Criminal Justice Press Project) (Paperback)

As a reader who is not a policeman, I enjoyed Lt. Rahtz's book from a police story perspective. The anecdotes of the force were entertaining as well as instructive. In my humble opinion, the description of the community oriented police work probably is what most recruits believe their job will be like. Every recruit enters the force with a great attitude - gung ho and wanting to make a difference. What happens next - chasing radio and 911 calls - wears down many cops until the reasons they joined the force are forgotten.

With the recent unrest in Cincinnati, maybe the city will listen to one of its own and expand community policing.