Understanding Police Use of Force (Paperback)

~ (Author) "It is always an ugly story..." (more)
Key Phrases: multiple officers, force incidents, reasonable officer, African Americans, Department of Justice, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Howard Rahtz has made a tremendous contribution to the public discussion on the police use of force..." -- Prof John Eck, excerpt from Foreword

"This book will appeal to a broad audience...it provides valuable insights and new contributions to the ongoing public debate..." -- Joe Brann, former director of U.S. COPS office

Product Description

"It is always an ugly story. Whether it's the videotaped beating of Rodney King, 41 shots fired by New York police officers in the Amadou Diallo death, or a single shot killing an unarmed teenager in Cincinnati, police use of force is perhaps the most contentious issue in our country."

So begins Howard Rahtz's balanced and insightful overview of the use of force in American policing. This book strives to enrich public discussion by tracing current trends in the use of force, exploring the impact of this issue on race relations, and evaluating the numerous options proposed for minimizing the use of force in police work.

The author notes that police in the U.S. rarely use force against civilians, and that the use of deadly force has steadily declined in the past 25 years. Nevertheless, he cautions that force situations are often fraught with grave dangers for citizens, communities and police officerse themselves. Although there is no panacea, Rahtz outlines numerous areas where improvements can be achieved in reducing the use of force.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 171 pages
• Publisher: Criminal Justice Press (June 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1881798429
• ISBN-13: 978-1881798422
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #139,925 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Good book on police use of force-but read with care, December 24, 2008

By	Thomas "Tom" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

I read this book to stay current with what is being published about Police Use of Force.

The author has for the most part done a good job but there are several over generlizations in his book. For example, he states that Tennessee v Garner establishes the standard for the use of deadly force by Police. However, Graham v Connor establishes the standard for the use of force, deadly or not, during an arrest, "Terry" stop or other seizure of a free citizen. Tennessee v Garner does establish when you can use deadly force on fleeing suspects in addition to when you could use deadly force under Graham v Connor.

This book is again a good starting point for learning more about police use of force.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent overview, November 13, 2003

By	john huppertz (Syracuse, NY United States) - See all my reviews

Howard Rahtz has written a very perceptive, thoughtful piece on the appropriate use of force in police situations. He brings in examples that can only come from years of experience in the field, and he makes you think about how the use and threat of force is part and parcel of everyday police work. He points out that in many situations cops should think about their actions, even when ordinary citizens would not think twice about whether police force was approporiate.

I recommend it highly.