ASSIGNMENTS FOR POLICE IN SOCIETY
 

    There is one assignment, and one assignment only (besides exams), for this class, and that is to write a RESEARCH TERM PAPER.  The Justice Studies Style Guide and How to Write Term Papers provides an abundance of tips, especially for the APA style which your papers must be in. The NCWC Writing Lab is also available to assist you online or in person, and then there is the Library Portal for your use.  Papers are expected to have all the appropriate front and end matter, like a title page, abstract, appendixes, list of references, list of cases cited, and endnotes, if appropriate. Diagrams, figures, or tables are also expected.  These pages do not count as part of the 10-12 pages of text.

    I have no problem with most assignments being submitted via e-mail, and I actually prefer it that way.  However, because the term paper requires certain formatting, it's final form must always be submitted as a word-processed document, and the word processor of choice is Microsoft Word.  It makes it easier for me to post it (anonymously) on the web.

    Papers will be submitted (and graded) in parts. The highest scores among the parts count as 50% of the final grade. The highest scores are usually the last three parts, when the final term paper is complete. Students are expected to incorporate feedback given by the instructor on each part, and to show progress on the next part while including each previously revised part. Strict penalties apply to any sign of NOT incorporating feedback or any skipping or missing parts of the paper assignment.  NCWC requires all writing intensive classes provide intensive feedback on at least 3000 words of writing, and this amounts to about 10-12 pages. Again, here's a link to something VERY IMPORTANT and extremely useful to you, the Justice Studies Style Guide and How to Write Term Papers.  It contains answers to any and all questions you may have about term papers.    

    While each section of the term paper is evaluated differently, grading rubrics, detailed instructions, and templates are usually provided as an Instructional Supplement (see assignments page). General evaluation criteria for term papers are Neatness (always typed) and application of the REOS grading rubric (Reasoning, Evidence, Organization, and Substance). There is a schedule to be followed on the term paper, where about every three weeks, part of it is turned in, according to the following Schedule of When Parts of Paper are Due which indicates by underlining what those new parts are.

SCHEDULE OF WHEN PARTS OF PAPER ARE DUE:
Part One Third week
(Sept. 13 Fall)
(Jan 31 Spring)

Abstract, Outline,
and Introduction

 

Aim of study, conceptual framework, statement of problem, thesis, hypotheses
Part Two Sixth week
(Oct. 4 Fall)
(Feb 22 Spring)		 Revised Introduction
and New Literature Review		 12-15 scholarly sources, relevance, significance, gaps
Part Three Tenth week
(Nov. 1 Fall)
(Mar 21 Spring)		 Revised Introduction, Revised Lit Review, and New Research Methodology 2-4 tables, design, strategy, methods, limitations, findings
Part Four Thirteenth week
(Nov. 22 Fall)
(Apr 11 Spring)		 Revised Intro, Revised Lit Review, Revised Research Meth, and
 New Discussion		 Summary, conclusions, suggestions, policy implications

    It is important to note that although the lowest score is thrown out in both areas of graded assignments, it is up to the instructor to decide which assignments those are from the student's completion of ALL assignments. Students who deliberately do three out of four assignments (in any category) in order to do less work will be penalized by a full letter for their final grade, regardless of their scores on other assignments. There are no bonus point exercises in this course, and there are no grading curves.  

    Some standard references in the area of community policing are as follows, intended to help you get to know some of the "big names" in the field and the most well-respected works:

Alpert, G. & Dunham, R. (1988). Policing multi-ethnic neighborhoods. London: Greenwood. - reports the results of the famous Miami-Dade study, which showed that certain minorities (like Hispanics and Whites) and others (like Blacks) had completely different perceptions of what good police service means. Blacks generally wanted more respect, e.g. while Hispanics and Whites wanted more crime fighting. Generally used as a reference for almost all writers about racial issues in policing.

Bittner, E. (1974). Florence Nightingale in pursuit of Willie Sutton: A theory of the police. In H. Jacob (ed.) The Potential for Reform of Criminal Justice Beverly Hills: Sage - a popular book chapter, reprinted in many books about policing. Generally used as a standalone reference for all things theoretical or theory-based about policing.

Brodeur, J. (Ed.) (1998). How to Recognize Good Policing. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage - an emerging reference on the "third wave" of community policing evaluation, more cautiously optimistic than the first wave, and not as pessimistic as the second wave. This is a book I'm currently reading, and it appears to cover a lot of ground on the impact of community policing on police officers, as well as making some good points about police accountability (Who Guards the Guardians?).

Byrne, J. & Sampson, R. (1986). The social ecology of crime. NY:Springer. - Generally used as a reference for all things geographical and neighborhood-oriented about crime rates and city models.  If you don't know what kind of design the city has that you want to study, you can probably find it here, or more typically, make up a name and cite this book as being the source.

Cook, T. & Campbell, D. (1979). Quasi-experimentation: Design and Analysis Issues Chicago: Rand-McNally. Generally used as standard reference for any unusual research designs or unusual research methodology. Contains an excellent discussion of validity and reliability threats as well as ways to estimate the power of any new program or experiment.  It's frequently used by students to "snow" their professors when the professor wants statistical analysis, and the student is covering up a math deficit.

Decker, S. (1981). Citizen attitude toward the police: A review of past findings and suggestions for future policy. Journal of Police Science and Administration, 9, 80-87 - although other references exist, this one is generally used for many ideas related about how to improve citizen attitudes, respect for police, and cooperation with police.

Eck, J. & Spelman, W. (1987). Who ya gonna call? The police as problem-busters Crime and Delinquency, 33(1), 31-52 - although other references exist, this one is generally used to support almost any creative idea in policing.  It's generally cited as a blanket call for reform, that something, anything needs changing in policing.

Elias, R. (1993). Victims still: The political manipulation of crime victims. Newbury Park, CA: Sage - this is very often used as a general reference for all things having to do with programs intended to serve crime victims.  It's not a critical book like you might think from the title, as it blames citizens more than it blames police for the problems that victims have nowadays.

Goldstein, H. (1990). Problem-oriented policing. NY: McGraw-Hill - this is often cited as one of the founding books on community policing. Problem-oriented as of 1999 is starting to become the buzzword rather than community-oriented.  You can't go wrong by showing your smarts that problem-oriented came first.

Gottfredson, M. & Gottfredson, D. (1988). Decisionmaking in criminal justice. NY: Plenum - this is the most often cited book on any situation involving police discretion, where officers use judgments rather than blindly enforce the law.  In case you haven't figured it out, the study of discretion is the study of police having too much power.

Greene, J. & S. Mastrofski (Eds.) (1988). Community Policing: Rhetoric or Reality. NY: Praeger - an edited collection of book chapters all expressing doubt and pessimism about community policing from a devil's advocate position. Generally used as a reference for any kind of officer or citizen resistance to community policing as well as effectiveness & equity problems.  If you want to write anything critical about community policing, this is the book to cite.

Lab, S. (1988). Crime prevention: Approaches, practices and evaluations. Cincinnati: Anderson - this is a frequently cited reference on designing logical crime prevention programs and the many ways to evaluate them.  You won't find a better, more comprehensive, more authoritative source on any topic having to do with crime prevention.

Neiderhoffer, A. (1969). Behind the Shield. NJ: Anchor Books. - If what you're writing about has anything to do with the police personality or psychological traits, there's no excuse for not citing this book, as it's the most exhaustive psychological study you'll find.

Rosenbaum, D. (Ed.) (1994). The challenge of community policing: Testing the Promises. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage - a collection of dozens of book chapters, all of which have evaluated some kind of community policing program positively in some way or produced statistics like 1 in 5 Americans belonging to a neighborhood watch. Generally used as a reference for reasonable percentage estimates of how successful a program will be. Another frequently cited book by Rosenbaum (1986) is Community Crime Prevention: Does it work? Beverly Hills: Sage.  These books  tend to be a bit statistical-oriented, and the idea behind citing them is when you want to demand proof that something works or doesn't work by looking at the bottom line.

Rossi, P. & Freeman, H. (1985). Evaluation: A systematic approach. Beverly Hills: Sage -probably the most frequently cited source, and possibly the "bible", for program evaluation plans. Worshipped by sociologists as a sacred text, and it contains a discussion of all the methodologies that went into Brown v. Board of Education back in 1954 that showed how discrimination and prejudice can have lasting, harmful effects.

Sherman, L., Gartin, P. & M. Buerger. (1989). Hot spots of predatory crime: Routine Activities and the criminology of place. Criminology 27(1), 27-55 - a frequently cited source for models/diagrams of the causes of crime patterns, and more importantly, the most frequently-cited work anytime the phrase "hot spot" is ever used.

Skogan, W. (1990). Disorder and decline: Crime and the spiral of decay in American cities .NY: Free Press - a rare book that crosses the line between being academic and for the general public; it has to do with disorder and decay concerns in community policing, how bad our inner cities have become, and a rather pessimistic view that crime is running rampant and will continue to do so.

Skolnick, J. (1966). Justice Without Trial. NY: Wiley and Sons. - If what you're writing about has anything to do with sociology, or any sociological concept, then this is the book to cite.  It's "sociologese" through and through, and the author is especially fond of creating new phrases, like "blue flu" or the "blue line."
Skolnick, J. & Bayley, D. (1988). Community policing: Issues and practices around the world. Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice - this is a standard reference on comparing community policing programs, internationally, because some American neighborhoods may have things in common with cultures of other countries.  This, and the Multicultural Policing book I use is SOC 355, are probably the best things to cite whenever you're writing about any specific minority group, even small minority groups.

Sparrow, M., Moore, M. & Kennedy, D. (1990). Beyond 911: a new era for policing. NY: Basic Books - this is a frequently cited reference on police service delivery plans.  It's basically a "bible" on the topic of "service" which is that police can be all things to all people, helping stranded motorists, getting cats out of trees, etc.

Trojanowicz, R. & Bucqueroux, B. (1990). Community policing: A contemporary perspective. Cincinnati: Anderson - widely regarded as one of (if not the) founding books for community policing. Estimated 60-70% levels of impact, and almost every piece of data or figure calculated is at the 60% level.  Citing this, along with Goldstein, would mean that you really know what's up with the latest trends in policing.

Vila, Bryan & Cynthia Morris. (1999). The role of police in American society: A documentary history. Westport CT: Greenwood - a fairly comprehensive history of policing with all significant events covered.  If it's not in this book, it's not part of police history. Enough said.

Wilson, J. & Kelling, G. (1982, March). Broken windows: The police and neighborhood safety. The Atlantic Monthly, pp. 29-38 - the reference for broken windows theory and disorder concerns in community policing.  This is the article that police departments, and especially trainers, worship as a sacred document.  You couldn't go wrong in reading it, as it would help you figure out the police mindset.

Last updated: 01/06/04
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