Volunteer Police in the United States: Programs, Challenges, and Legal Aspects (SpringerBriefs in Criminology)

This work examines in-depth the phenomenon of volunteer policing in the United States. Due to a combination of municipal budget cuts, decreased manpower, and a renewed interest in community partnership, everyday citizens are increasingly joining the police rank and file. This trend provides low-cost solutions for a number of policing problems, but also brings its own special challenges and considerations. This work provides a historical overview of volunteer police in the United States and abroad; an practical overview of volunteer programs throughout the United States including training programs, requirements and qualifications; a close examination of two central types of laws governing volunteer police units: the "Stand Your Ground" law and the "Good Samaritan" law; and overview of the dangers that can face volunteer police units, and a comparative analysis with volunteer programs worldwide. It will be of interest to researchers in police studies, criminal justice administration, and for policymakers and practitioners working with police organization and training. Contents 5 Introduction 7 1 History 9 Early American Policing 9 Modern Police Volunteerism 11 Bibliography 13 2 Program Overview 15 Police Volunteer Activities 15 Volunteer Groups 17 Community Emergency Response Teams 17 Neighborhood Watch Organizations 18 Police Chaplains 19 Reserve and Auxiliary Officers 19 Citizen Academies 20 Police Explorers and Cadets 20 Senior Programs 21 The Police Volunteer 22 Requirements 22 Motivations of Volunteers 23 Bibliography 24 3 Law 26 Municipal and Department Liability 26 Citizen Lawsuits 26 Volunteer Lawsuits 27 Volunteer Liability 28 Stand Your Ground 29 Good Samaritan Laws 30 Bibliography 32 4 Dangers and Misconduct 33 Dangers of Patrol 33 Police Volunteer Misconduct 35 Race Relations 35 Judgment Calls 36 Abuse of Authority 36 Bibliography 37 5 Comparative Perspective 38 China/Taiwan 38 Russia 39 England 41 Scotland 42 Israel 43 Bibliography 44 Index 46 Front Matter....Pages i-viii History....Pages 1-6 Program Overview....Pages 7-17 Law....Pages 19-25 Dangers and Misconduct....Pages 27-31 Comparative Perspective....Pages 33-40 Back Matter....Pages 41-44