Amazon.com
When William Bratton was a year and a half old, his mother caught him directing traffic in the street out front of their Boston home. From that moment on, it seemed destined that he would become a cop. In this book, Bratton and his coauthor, Peter Knobler, chronicle Bratton's career, focussing particularly on his efforts to revitalize Boston's and New York City's police departments. Bratton rose quickly through the ranks of the Boston Police Department, where he pioneered community policing and cleaned up the city's subway system. As New York's transit-police chief, he cracked down on minor offenses like turnstile jumping on the theory that the people who commit more serious crimes underground also commit smaller ones. It worked. Finally, Bratton realized his dream of becoming America's top cop: the New York City Police Commissioner. The city's crime rate dropped over 10 percent a year during Bratton's brief tenure as top cop, until Mayor Giuliani's administration forced him out of the job in 1996.
In Turnaround, Bratton describes the police initiatives that led to these successes. Bratton and his peers used computer mapping to pinpoint crime hot spots and then cleaned up the areas using all the tools of law enforcement. One of the favored tools was "quality of life enforcement"--curtailing minor crimes like panhandling, squeegeeing, and prostitution in order to make the streets seem less inviting to worse criminals. Bratton made police commanders from all districts of the city accountable, requiring them to report on progress and problems in their locales, during frequent departmental meetings. Bratton is now a consultant to police departments across the nation, so, like it or not, his style of law enforcement may soon be coming to a city near you. This is not a page-turner or a masterful work of literature, but Bratton's ideas about curbing crime should be of interest to both those involved in law enforcement and regular people who are concerned about crime. --Jill Marquis
Book Description
When Bill Bratton was sworn in as New York City's police commissioner in 1994, he made what many considered a bold promise: The NYPD would fight crime in every borough...and win. It seemed foolhardy; even everybody knows you can't win the war on crime. But Bratton delivered. In an extraordinary twenty-seven months, serious crime in New York City went down by 33 percent, the murder rate was cut in half--and Bill Bratton was heralded as the most charismatic and respected law enforcement official in America.. In this outspoken account of his news-making career, Bratton reveals how his cutting-edge policing strategies brought about the historic reduction in crime.
Bratton's success made national news and landed him on the cover of
Time. It also landed him in political hot water. Bratton earned such positive press that before he'd completed his first week on the job, the administration of New York's media-hungry mayor Rudolph Giuliani, threatened to fire him. Bratton gives a vivid, behind-the-scenes look at the sizzle and substance, and he pulls no punches describing the personalities who
really run the city.
Bratton grew up in a working-class Boston neighborhood, always dreaming of being a cop. As a young officer under Robert di Grazia, Boston's progressive police commissioner, he got a ground-level view of real police reform and also saw what happens when an outspoken, dynamic, reform-minded police commissioner starts to outshine an ambitious mayor. He was soon in the forefront of the community policing movement and a rising star in the profession. Bratton had turned around four major police departments when he accepted the number one police job in America.
When Bratton arrived at the NYPD, New York's Finest were almost hiding; they had given up on preventing crime and were trying only to respond to it. Narcotics, Vice, Auto Theft, and the Gun Squads all worked banker's hours while the competition--the bad guys--worked around the clock. Bratton changed that. He brought talent to the top and instilled pride in the force; he listened to the people in the neighborhoods and to the cops on the street. Bratton and his "dream team" created Compstat, a combination of computer statistics analysis and an unwavering demand for accountability. Cops were called on the carpet, and crime began to drop. With Bratton on the job, New York City was turned around.
Today, New York's plummeting crime rate and improved quality of life remain a national success story. Bratton is directly responsible, and his strategies are being studied and implemented by police forces across the country and around the world. In
Turnaround, Bratton shows how the war on crime can be won once and for all.
Customer Reviews:
Easy read, important story by brillant but short-sighted cop.......2007-03-28
This book is very easy to read. In form, it is an autobiography of the man who modestly dubs himself "America's top cop." Humility is not one of Bill Bratton's vices.
The book flows very easily. It tells you enough about Bratton's life to give the book some structure, but it is not a personal book. It is a book about policing.
The argument of the book is like those old "Before" and "After" photos in the weight-loss ads. The "Before" in this case is the bloated, ineffective police bureacrats who did not have a clue what crime was going on in their city and whose mantra was risk avoidance. The "After" is the nimble, computer-assisted, result-driven police department brought into creation by Bratton at the New York Police Department.
Rudy Guiliani is the one of the villains of the piece. According to Bratton, Rudy never did one damm thing right, except for hiring him. It was all Bratton, doing heroic police work, while that drama queen Rudy ineffectively tried to steal all of the Top Cop's headlines. In the end, the Top Cop would have ended crime completely in New York City -- completely eradicated it -- except that Rudy got so jealous of the Top Cop's book deal and what not that the snake Rudy gave Top Cop the boot, in a underhanded way of course.
I, of course, have no personal knowledge of any of this, so I can not say who was right and who was wrong. To an outsider, it seems pretty obvious that both Rudy and the Top Cop have egos big enough for fifteen ordinary people. It also seems that, for all of Bratton's brillance and success as a cop, he forgot who his boss was. Given how many battles Rudy was fighting with the New York Times, the ACLU and the liberal establishment to let Bratton do his thing, I think that Bratton massively underrates Rudy's contribution to their joint enterprise. Bratton seems to think that cops can just do policing all by themselves, in a vacuum. The truth, of course, is that the average mayor would have fired Bratton after the first thunderous New York Times editorial denoncing police brutality. While Top Cop could not see this, he could not have done anything without Rudy backing him ceaselessly and running endless interference for him with his real enemies, the liberals who hated everything that he did.
Better than Giuliani's Book.......2005-09-26
This reviewer has no insight into how much of the book was written by Bratton and how much was written Knobler. Regardless, this book is a quick and delightful read. The language is rough and informal as one might expect from a police chief turned author, but is written with enough balance that it could be used a textbook for a criminology class. Assuming that Knobler had a major hand in this book, this reviewer intends to seek out his other books to see if they are as excellently written.
Having recently read Giuliani's book, it is striking how much less ego is in this book than in Giuliani's book which covers many of the same events and initiatives. Additionally, there are many striking differences of fact in this book and Giuliani's. Not just the discussions of personalities and why different folks were moved around or fired, but very specific things such as the level of computerization in COMPSTAT and the timing of the "rollout" of different initiatives. All things being equal, this reader would tend to believe the Bratton version of events since he was working these issues much closer than the Mayor would have been.
The book is not a true biography of Bratton. It has a short biographical section which is primarily structured to discuss why he became a cop and how his philosophy to criminology was developed. Then the book talks about Bratton's initiatives as the highest uniformed officer at Boston, as head of the transit police in NYC, as head of the Boston police, and finally his crowning triumph as Commissioner of NYPD.
To be completely honest, this reviewer has little interest in police matters. This book was read as a research project for a scholar I work with. Despite this lack of background, I found some very interesting ideas outlined in this book. First, large institutions - Governmental Bureaucracies, military, police - tend to become monolithic and exclusive. This means that members of those organizations, in order to avoid stagnation and collapse as society changes around them, must constantly scan the outside world to lift the best ideas and procedures available. Second, American nature is fascinated and compelled by change and innovation. To sell ideas and make the folks doing the work feel involved and have ownership, one might consider selling the ideas often as innovation even if they are more evolutionary than revolutionary. Finally, Bratton and Giuliani ultimately did quite a bit of damage to both the general population of NYC and the NYPD because of their huge egos. After reading this book, I am willing to believe that Giuliani had the larger share of fault in this, but the there is plenty of blame for both in this case.
Many will say that Bratton just rode the wave of national crime reduction. Some of the things they might cite as the real cause of the crime reduction might be: (1) the graying of America's general population. (2) The shift from Crack (a stimulant) to Heroin (a depressant). (3) The availability of cheap and legal abortions essentially killed the poor and disadvantaged before they had the opportunity to grow to adulthood and become criminals. (4) The decrease in crimes in NYC was simply a reflection of the statistical decrease of crime across the nation. While there is a grain of truth in all of these, they miss the point. NYC far exceeded the national average in crime reduction. Additionally, NYC is such a large population that they were a significant factor in the nation-wide reduction numbers. One need only look at cities like Washington DC or New Orleans to see that not all cities experienced reduced crime during this period. Therefore, the Bratton's policies must have had a significant role in crime reduction in addition to the elements discussed above.
Of course, part of the reason that this book was written was to help Bratton with his public speaking and consulting business that he started after leaving NYPD. However, that fact does not detract from its usefulness. Additionally, it must be noted that Bratton has recently returned to public service as Police Commissioner at LAPD. It will be interesting to see what initiatives he develops in that much different environment and how effective his "old" techniques developed at Boston and NYC will be in an environment that is much different both culturally and geographically.
In summary, this is an excellent book. I highly recommend it for folks interested in leadership, innovation, criminology, or the recent history of NYC. This book is better than Giuliani's both in terms of the writing and its usefulness.
A New Paradigm in Police Leadership.......2004-11-25
I have been teaching college level police management courses since 1976. I began to cite Bratton's tactics and leadership style in my lectures after he appeared in TIME and predicted that his name will be in police text books in the near future along with other heavyweights. Sure enough, in John Dempsey's "Introduction To Policing" (second edition) Bratton's COMPSTAT efforts are cited on pages 24-25. What is surprising to me are the negative reviews posted on this Amazon review section. They apparently have no clue on the nature of social disorder fostered in the "Broken Window" syndrome embraced by Bratton and integrated into his crime-specific targeting tactics of COMPSTAT. And yes crime did decrease in the nation during that period but that had nothing to do with targeting the notorious "window wipers" and recently paroled ex-cons (read the book to learn about these police tactics). I wonder if the negative reviewers are part of the traditional set that resisted needed change in how police do business? But I respect Bratton for his leadership style. Talk to New York transit cops who got new radios, Glocks and black leather jackets. Those little things mean a lot to street cops and that's what bonds them to their leaders. And, after being on the job only for a few weeks, he goes into the NYPD precinct to personally supervise the arrest of the cocaine cops then faced the cameras holding up the badges telling the city that the badge numbers will never be used again forever. It is a leadership paradigm that others wish they had thought of first. Of course, his detractors will call it grandstanding. If they know so much, how come they never got to be top cop of Boston, NYPD or LAPD?
I'm a believer.......2003-02-03
I decided to read this book when Bill Bratton
was hired as Chief of Police in Los Angeles.
This book reads like an autobiography, from Bratton's
childhood in Boston, until after his falling out with
Guiliani. Through his experiences, I learned a lot
about police work.
Critics say that Bratton's success in New York was
concurrent with a nationwide drop in crime (presumably
due to a strong economy) and thus isn't such a big deal.
Cheap shot. This book explains how a well managed
police effort absolutely has an effect on crime.
Bratton has a strong track record of accomplishment,
turning around the MBTA Police (Massachusetts Bay Transit
Authority), the Metropolitan Police (now part of the
Massachusetts State Police), the New York Transit
Police, Boston Police, and NYPD.
Bratton believes in the Broken Windows theory, i.e.
that acceptance of petty crime creates an environment
that breeds more serious crime. (The slippery slope
argument.) He also believes in analysis of crime
statistics, by location/time/etc. to determine how
to deploy police resources: originally pins on
a map, eventually growing in to the famous CompStat.
Having lived in the Boston area for many years, the
references to different parts of the city where he
worked, and to various people (Mayors, police officials,
etc.) made the book all the more interesting for me.
Also, Bratton talks about a book called Your Police
which he checked out of the library as a boy; I remember
checking that same book out of the library when I was
around 8-years old. (Although I've always had a strong
interest in it, I didn't pursue a career in law enforcement.).
Bratton certainly has his work cut out for
him in Los Angeles. The LAPD has been plagued by
scandal, inept leadership, and (not surprisingly)
low morale and high employee turnover. And crime
is pervasive -- from reckless driving, littering
and graffiti, to gang drive-by shootings.
After reading this book, I am convinced that
Bratton is exactly what L.A. needs, and I applaud
Mayor Hahn for having the spine to hire the
most qualified person for the job, despite all
of the political pressure to make an appointment
based on race.
Better Lucky than Good.......2002-10-21
Bill Bratton is an accomplished police manager. He proved himself an excellent police chief in several agencies. He is not, however, a miracle worker. The innovations Bratton introduced into the NYPD coincided with the largest drop in crime in the nation's history. The drop started in 1991, accelerated in 1994 (the official starting date for Bratton's organizational changes) and culminated by 1998 with the national crime rate at its lowest point since the 1960's. This happened nation-wide and a number of departments other than New York City experienced record declines in crime. The real tragedy in New York is that Bratton believes they actually validated the Broken Windows theory of crime control. In fact, had he implemented these strategies in 1984 instead of 1994, the rising tide of crime would have made him appear foolish. Timing is everything and it really is better to be lucky than good.
Customer Reviews:
More timely than ever, unfortunately.......2001-09-26
In the wake of a terrible terrorist attack, various public voices are arguing for liberty-threatening countermeasures -- increases in federal power, the placement of federal marshals on aircraft, the unreasonable search and seziure of airline passengers, and so forth. Almost unnoticed and unmentioned is the fact that the terrorists succeeded in killing thousands using, apparently, no weapon more powerful than a box cutter.
A handful who are aware of this salient point are claiming that airline security was lax owing to "market failure." This is supposed to relieve us of the responsibility to establish security by means that respect rights.
But Bruce Benson's _To Serve and Protect_ addressed all of this several years ago -- broadly and in principle, though of course with no explicit discussion of the proper security measures for airlines to implement. What Benson provides in this volume is a thorough defense of a superficially counterintuitive claim that becomes less and less counterintuitive as time goes on: the free and private market is better, _much_ better, at providing security and criminal justice than is the government.
That means that his book is, sadly, perhaps more timely now than when it was written. By a simple extrapolation of the arguments presented herein, the recent tragedies indicate, not that "private" security provisions put us at risk of "market failures," but that a government monopoly on criminal justice costs lives.
Benson is also the author of the highly recommended _The Enterpise of Law_, which sets out probably the most thorough case to date that _law_ can exist without the institutions of a territorial State. This volume is in some ways a sequel, setting out a positive case as to how "private" criminal law works and why it is, consistently and in principle, superior to government regulation. (And allegations of "market failure" are specifically addressed.)
Check it out. The need for Benson's arguments has never been greater at any time since its publication.
What we have to avoid !.......2000-01-13
Professor Benson's book is very interesting and excite. Good thoughts and insights in criminal justice failures. Benson advocates free market administration of crime and punishment as solution. The question in my opinion is: what we have to avoid ? Criminal justice failures or market rules ? What seems a good ideia, maybe is the wrong way and will cause more problems than solutions. Anyway, you can't be pro or against it without this excellent book.
A brilliant follow up to Benson's "The Enterprise of Law".......1999-09-12
What I love about this book is that it is a must read for both Liberals and Conservatives alike. Benson shows step by step why our monopolized "justice" system works against real justice -- and why the poor are the most likely to suffer at its hands. What is most comforting to me (who wholeheartedly agrees with his findings) is his conclusion that whether or not people like it, the privatization of criminal justice is inevitably growing.
Book Description
Up-to-date, comprehensive, and objective, COMMUNITY-BASED CORRECTIONS gives you essential information on the wide array of punishment and treatment programs that constitute alternatives to incarceration. You'll be introduced into a number of programs--such as probation, parole, electronic monitoring, house arrest, day-treatment centers, boot camps, restitution, and fines-designed to meet the needs and levels of risk posed by the individual offender. Additionally, you will learn about the practical and legal matters involved in running these programs, and you'll gain insight into their historical, philosophical, social, and legal underpinnings.
Book Description
The prison system is changing. But what's the best direction? COMMUNITY-BASED CORRECTIONS shows you how the prison system can help more people and cost taxpayers less by starting to put some types of felons in supervised programs. Programs discussed include probation, parole, electronic monitoring, house arrest, day-treatment centers, bootcamps, restitution, and fines. With a balanced approach, this text reflects a strong emphasis on practical and legal matters related to alternatives to prison and jail.
Customer Reviews:
Media Mail.......2007-01-30
The book was alright - although it described it as still in the plastic, but the plastic was very loose. Also, I paid for expedited shipping for the product (5.00)- and it came to me later than I had anticipated by regular media mail - (1.28). When I pay for express shipping, I want the book quicker than media mail delivers. Frustrating.
Book Description
Suggesting that all components of the criminal and juvenile justice systems are interrelated to varying degrees, this thorough study describes the objectives of probation and parole for criminally convicted adults and juveniles and whether these objectives are achieved. Helping readers deepen their understanding of these philosophies through an examination of the history of parole and probation in the United States, it describes probation and parole programs, considers various classes of offenders, and highlights several problems associated with the selection and training of probation and parole officers—including their relationships with offender-clients. It remains the only major volume of its kind to combine the standard topics in probation and parole with full coverage of recent trends in community corrections. Exceptionally well organized, it emphasizes a legalistic approach, noting key legal cases where appropriate and including our most recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions. The volume provides a complete analysis of probation, community corrections, and the sentencing process; jails, prisons, and parole; the administration of probation and parole organizational operations; special populations of offenders and juvenile probation; and parole and program evaluation. For those involved in criminal justice, probation, parole or community corrections fields.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent, current textbook.......1999-09-04
As an adjunct professor at the University of Central, I use this book for supplemental materials for my class (it was too late in the semester to order for the main text). The up-to-date, detailed information is accompanied by review questions that open floor discussions in the classroom. With the ever-changing world of criminal justice, it is important that students be informed of current trends.
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic Text.......2000-10-11
Latessa and Allen have provided an excellent resource for students of Criminal Justice, and professors alike. This text is concise, very readable, and extremely current, while offering a depth and breadth of information regarding the role and importance of Community Corrections throughout history and today. Many thanks to both authors!
Corrections in the Community.......2000-02-08
I am a 3rd year Criminal Justice student and I must say that this is probably the best text that I have ever had. It is interesting, easy to read and very scholastic. It is actually a pleasure to read this book.
Very readable, current textbook.......1999-09-04
As an adjunct professor at the University of Central Florida, I use this text to supplement my Community-Based Corrections class (it was too late in the semester to order it for the main text). It is very readable, written in a good continuim of information, and includes review questions, key terms, and recommended readings. The instructor's guide includes a test bank disk and an overview of each chapter. Student objectives, instructor's aides, and test questions (essay, short-answer, multiple-choice, and true/false) are included (with correct answer, of course!) My students generate a lot of floor discussion with the topics in this book.
Book Description
This comprehensive volume—geared toward novices as well as experienced professionals in law enforcement, the courts, and institutional corrections—fills an important need in the study of community corrections. The author skillfully guides readers throughout the operation of community corrections, from pretrial supervision through the revocation process. Salient topics include: historical forces that shaped modern community corrections; its role within the criminal justice system; how it interfaces with the community, including its impact on innocent third parties; and the responsibilities of community corrections officers. Practical case studies address issues of integrity and human dignity; international foci illuminate community corrections practices in other countries; and literary foci provide new and insightful perspectives. Ideas for research papers are offered at the end of each chapter.
Average customer rating:
|
Controlling the Offender in the Community
Todd R. Clear , and
Vincent O'Leary
Manufacturer: Lexington Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0669046337 |
Book Description
This text, known for its balanced and in-depth coverage, focuses on all forms of community-based correctional facilities from traditional probation programs to more current programs such as electronic monitoring, house arrest, day-treatment, bootcamp and fines. The authors offer especially strong examples of programs throughout the country designed to control, monitor, and in some cases, rehabilitate offenders.
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