The Privatization of Policing: Two Views

by Brian Forst, Peter K. Manning

Overview

The increasing reliance on private security services raises questions about the effects of privatization on the quality of public police forces, particularly in high-crime, low-income areas. In an effective pro-and-con format, two experts on policing offer two strikingly different perspectives on this trend towards privatization. In the process, they provide an unusually thoughtful discussion of the origins of both the public police and the private security sectors, the forces behind the recent growth of private security operations, and the risks to public safety posed by privatization.

In his critique of privatization, Peter K. Manning focuses on issues of free market theory and management practices such as Total Quality Management that he believes are harmful to the traditional police mandate to control crime. He questions the appropriateness of strategies that emphasize service to consumers. For Brian Forst, the free market paradigm and economic incentives do not carry the same stigma. He argues that neither public nor private policing should have a monopoly on law enforcement activities, and he predicts an even more varied mix of public and private police activities than are currently available.

Following the two main sections of the book, each author assesses the other's contribution, reflecting on not just their points of departure but also on the areas in which they agree. The breadth and depth of the discussion makes this book essential for both scholars and practitioners interested in policing generally and privatization in particular.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780878407354
Publisher:	Georgetown University Press
Publication date:	06/10/1999
Series:	Controversies in Public Policy series
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	166
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Brian Forst is professor of justice, law and society in the School of Public Affairs at American University. He is the editor of The Socio-Economics of Crime and Justice.

Peter. K. Manning is Elmer V. H. and Eileen M. Brooks Trustee Professor in the College of Criminal Justice at Northeastern University. His books include Police Work: The Social Organization of Policing and Organizational Communication and Symbolic Communication: Signifying Calls and the Police Response.

What People are Saying About This

Wesley G. Skogan

An informed dialogue over a key issue.

James J. Fyfe

Forst and Manning treat this issue with insight and intellect, and have provided mandatory reading for both officials and academicians.

From the Publisher

"Forst and Manning treat this issue with insight and intellect, and have provided mandatory reading for both officials and academicians."—James J. Fyfe, professor of criminal justice, Temple University

"An informed dialogue over a key issue."—Wesley G. Skogan, Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University

Editorial Reviews

An informed dialogue over a key issue.

Wesley G. Skogan

Forst and Manning treat this issue with insight and intellect, and have provided mandatory reading for both officials and academicians.

James J. Fyfe

Juxtaposes personal views rather than representing the arguments of the two sides of the debate generally. Manning is suspicious and hostile towards economic theory and managerial practices. He argues that the whole free market paradigm is inconsistent and harmful to the traditional police mandate. Forst contends that neither private nor public policing should have, or is likely to have, the playground to themselves for long. He thinks the need for security will rapidly outgrow the public will to provide it. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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