Policing Terrorism, Crime Control, and Police-Community Relations : Learning From the Israeli Experience

Front Matter....Pages i-xii Introduction and Study Context....Pages 1-31 Terrorist Threats and Police Performance....Pages 33-51 Police Involvement in Counterterrorism and Public Attitudes Toward the Police....Pages 53-77 The Effects of Security Threats on Antecedents of Police Legitimacy....Pages 79-97 How Do Majority Communities View the Potential Costs of Policing Terrorism?....Pages 99-115 Policing Terrorism from the Perspective of the Arab Minority....Pages 117-137 How Has the Israel National Police Perceived Its Role in Counterterrorism and the Potential Outcomes?....Pages 139-156 Summary and Conclusions....Pages 157-170 Back Matter....Pages 171-172 This timely and important work takes a critical look at the shifting role of police, who are becoming increasingly responsible for handling terrorism threats on top of their regular responsibilities. With an unprecedented empirical study, the authors of this book examine whether this increased focus on security-related threats may come at the expense of addressing “classic” police responsibilities, such as fighting crime and dealing with local, day-to-day community problems. They also examine whether this shift has had a detrimental effect on police-community relationships and perceptions of police legitimacy, as their role changes from “service” to “suspicion.” Through a four-year, multi-method study specifically focused on the Israel National Police, the authors of this work have examined the effects of this shifting role on a number of key areas of policing concern, namely: police effectiveness at fighting crime and police legitimacy, drawing conclusions applicable to any democratic police force. The results of the study provide a number of concrete recommendations for maintaining effectiveness and community relationships of the police, with increasing responsibilities, challenges, and limited resources. This work will be of interest for researchers in criminology and criminal justice, particularly with a focus on police studies and counter-terrorism; police administrators; and researchers in related disciplines, such as sociology and public administration. This timely and important work takes a critical look at the shifting roles of police, who are becoming increasingly tasked with handling terrorism threats on top of their regular responsibilities. With an unprecedented empirical study of the Israel National Police, the authors of this book examine whether this increased focus on security-related threats may come at the expense of addressing "classic" police responsibilities, such as fighting crime and dealing with local, day-to-day community problems. They also examine whether this shift has had a detrimental effect on police-community relationships and perceptions of police legitimacy, as their role changes from "service" to "suspicion." Through a four-year, multi-method study , the authors of this work have examined the effects of this shifting role on a number of key areas of policing, including police effectiveness at fighting crime and police legitimacy, drawing conclusions applicable to any democratic police force. The results of the study provide a number of concrete recommendations for maintaining effectiveness and community relationships of the police, with increasing responsibilities, challenges, and limited resources. This work will be of interest for researchers in criminology and criminal justice, particularly with a focus on police studies and counter-terrorism; police administrators; and researchers in related disciplines, such as sociology and public administration