More than Cosmetic Changes: Challenges of Experiments with Police Demilitarization in the 1960s and 1970s/

By: Material type: ArticleArticlePublication details: Sage, 2020.Description: Vol 46, Issue 5, 2020 ( 1002–1025 p.)Online resources: In: Journal of urban historySummary: In response to civil unrest, many U.S. police forces in the 1960s and 1970s adopted more aggressive postures, including “militarized” uniforms and tactics. A few, however, directed reform efforts toward “demilitarization.” This article focuses on the Menlo Park Police Department, in California, led by the maverick reformer Victor Cizanckas. It analyzes his attempts to change relations between the police and the public in his municipality, especially by decreasing incidents of abuse in one predominantly poor, black neighborhood. He instituted, for example, new uniforms and a nonhierarchical bureaucracy in the department. The article details how Cizanckas used emerging networks of law-enforcement professionalization to disseminate his ideas. It also analyzes the failures and challenges of these reform efforts. The article concludes that even radical police reform efforts in the period could not overcome racial inequality or a right-wing backlash against progressive ideas in policing.
Tags from this library: No tags from this library for this title. Log in to add tags.
Star ratings
    Average rating: 0.0 (0 votes)
Holdings
Item type Current library Collection Vol info Status
E-Journal E-Journal Library, SPAB Reference Collection v. 46(1-6) / Jan-Dec 2020 Available
Total holds: 0

In response to civil unrest, many U.S. police forces in the 1960s and 1970s adopted more aggressive postures, including “militarized” uniforms and tactics. A few, however, directed reform efforts toward “demilitarization.” This article focuses on the Menlo Park Police Department, in California, led by the maverick reformer Victor Cizanckas. It analyzes his attempts to change relations between the police and the public in his municipality, especially by decreasing incidents of abuse in one predominantly poor, black neighborhood. He instituted, for example, new uniforms and a nonhierarchical bureaucracy in the department. The article details how Cizanckas used emerging networks of law-enforcement professionalization to disseminate his ideas. It also analyzes the failures and challenges of these reform efforts. The article concludes that even radical police reform efforts in the period could not overcome racial inequality or a right-wing backlash against progressive ideas in policing.

There are no comments on this title.

to post a comment.
Share

Library, SPA Bhopal, Neelbad Road, Bhauri, Bhopal By-pass, Bhopal - 462 030 (India)
Ph No.: +91 - 755 - 2526805 | E-mail: library@spabhopal.ac.in

OPAC best viewed in Mozilla Browser in 1366X768 Resolution.
Free counter