Hunting for “Dirtbags”: Why Cops Over-Police the Poor and Racial Minorities - Hardcover

Patten, Ryan; Way, Lori Beth

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1555538126 ISBN 13: 9781555538125

Publisher: Northeastern University Press, 2013

Synopsis

This ethnographic study, which includes participant observation research and in-depth interviews with police officers in a major California city and a large East Coast city, explores how police officers use their discretionary time on the job-and the consequences. Providing highly textured insights into police discretion, the authors show that America's "tough on crime" approach to justice has too often proved to be a smoke screen for controlling people deemed undesirable, rather than a genuinely effective strategy for reducing crime.

About this title

About the Author

LORI BETH WAY is a professor in the Department of Political Science, California State University, Chico. RYAN PATTEN is an associate professor in the Criminal Justice Program, California State University, Chico.

Edition details

• Publisher: Northeastern University Press
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1555538126
• ISBN 13: 9781555538125
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 208