Former chief of police in Minneapolis and commander of the Bronx police force Tony Bouza pulls no punches in this blunt, candid assessment of police culture. Emphasizing the gap between the average citizen's perception of police work and the day-to-day reality of life as a cop, Bouza reveals the inner dynamics of a secretive, fraternal society that will do almost anything to protect itself. The strong bonds of loyalty among police both inspire individual acts of heroism in the face of danger but also repress full disclosure of the truth when corruption or abuse of power are suspected, says Bouza. Young rookies are quickly molded by the unspoken rules and the code of silence that govern a cop's professional life, and they soon learn that physical but not moral courage is expected. Bouza evaluates sweeps, roundups, sting operations, the controversial practice of racial profiling, and the politics of law enforcement. He critically examines the excesses, abuses, and corruption of the New York, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis police forces, among others, offering insights into what went wrong in the infamous Louima and Diallo cases. But his most telling criticism is not directed against the police per se but against our society's ruling elites and the middle class, who give police the unmistakable message that the underclass must be kept down and property owners protected at all costs. He charges that the heart of the problem of both crime and police abuse in America is our tacitly accepted class structure separating the privileged from the poor, and along with it the systemic racism that society as a whole is not yet willing to face. Bouza concludes his critique on a positive note with straightforward proposals on how to make the police more ethical and effective. This controversial, eye-opening book by a veteran insider exposes a reality that TV cop shows never portray and raises serious moral questions about class and race.
Former chief of police in Minneapolis and commander of the Bronx police force Tony Bouza pulls no punches in this blunt, candid assessment of police culture. Emphasizing the gap between the average citizen's perception of police work and the day-to-day reality of life as a cop, Bouza reveals the inner dynamics of a secretive, fraternal society that will do almost anything to protect itself. The strong bonds of loyalty among police both inspire individual acts of heroism in the face of danger but also repress full disclosure of the truth when corruption or abuse of power are suspected, says Bouza. Young rookies are quickly molded by the unspoken rules and the code of silence that govern a cop's professional life, and they soon learn that physical but not moral courage is expected. Bouza evaluates sweeps, roundups, sting operations, the controversial practice of racial profiling, and the politics of law enforcement. He critically examines the excesses, abuses, and corruption of the New York, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis police forces, among others, offering insights into what went wrong in the infamous Louima and Diallo cases. But his most telling criticism is not directed against the police per se but against our society's ruling elites and the middle class, who give police the unmistakable message that the underclass must be kept down and property owners protected at all costs. He charges that the heart of the problem of both crime and police abuse in America is our tacitly accepted class structure separating the privileged from the poor, and along with it the systemic racism that society as a whole is not yet willing to face. Bouza concludes his critique on a positive note with straightforward proposals on how to make the police more ethical and effective. This controversial, eye-opening book by a veteran insider exposes a reality that TV cop shows never portray and raises serious moral questions about class and race.
The author, a retired police chief with 36 years of experience in policing and police management, examines the general and specific nature of policing and how it is structured and implemented to meet its goals. An overview of the dynamics of the police world is followed by a discussion of the tasks and organization of a police agency. A pragmatic perspective of life within the police agency covers departmental jobs, civil service and reform, career advancement, and the selection and tenure of the chief. An examination of an agency's internal climate considers the shaping of the recruit, corruption, morale, waste and inefficiency, personnel development, and risk distribution. A chapter on personnel addresses the conflict between expectation and reality, identification of the unfit, the conditioning process, and pressures experienced by the chief. A discussion of the limitations of police statistics as a measure of police effectiveness is followed by a profile of "street" criminals and factors in their criminal careers. Other chapters cover the police functions of public service and traffic management; management problems, concerns, and opportunities; controversies within the agency; police legal limitations; police response to woman battering; and dealing with police unions and the press. The book concludes with a discussion of the planning and management of police reform.
No segment of American society is spared from Bouza's critical gaze in exposing the systemic excesses that are poisoning the heart of our nation. He spotlights the white-collar criminals, who quietly take pennies from each of us to create their own pots of gold. He unmasks the politicians, on both ends of the political spectrum, whose arrogance and hypocrisy speak volumes. He demonstrates how organized crime, while catering to our sinful, illicit cravings, affects our daily lives from buying a fish dinner to building a house. He uncloaks the televangelists and other fraudulent religious leaders who have transformed the ministry from a shepherd's leading the flock into a huckster's fleecing the gullible. Moreover, he reveals the abuses that have permeated the medical and other "helping" professions
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