Case Studies with Questions and Answers
Chapter 12: Toward a New Breed of Police Officer
The City of Boston, Massachusetts would like to evaluate its police force. Recently, there has been a rise in the number of complaints filed against its police officers. The population has complained that the officers are too ridged and do not understand the community that they serve. The goal is to better serve the community that it works for. Mayor Kelley Walsh and Police Chief Pavel Bure have examined possible solutions. According the basic ideas behind community policing the community should have a say in how they are policed. Mayor Walsh and Chief Bure organized a town hall meeting and asked members of different neighborhoods to come an participate so that they can express any concerns that they may have in reference to the way that the police and the population interact. Mayor Walsh and Chief Bure and concerned that the lines of communication between the community and the police department have broken down.
When evaluating the data from the last census Mayor Walsh and Chief Bure found that the ethnic makeup of the city of Boston has changed. For example, the city of Boston has had an influx of new immigrants from Eastern Europe. Specifically, since the fall of communism the city of Boston now has large Polish, Romanian, and Russian population. Additionally, the city of Boston is also receiving new immigrants from Puerto Rico.
Mayor Walsh and Chief Bure would like to know how to better train and prepare police officers to serve the community. What type of officer to hire and what type of background they should have?