Shades of Blue: Practice and Possibility in Policing explores issues essential to understanding the complex purposes and effects of contemporary law enforcement in a democratic society. Through seminal writings by noted policing pioneers, students are introduced to the philosophies and strategies associated with the professional and community eras in policing. Articles on officer desirability, as expressed in recruitment policies and through citizen feedback, accord students insight into who is, and should be, empowered to implement the policing mandate. Readings on controversial policing practices, including seemingly extralegal acts of racial profiling and street justice, bespeak ways in which the police potentially foster and sustain public resentment through perpetuation of perceptible injustice. Shades of Blue concludes with selections on the ostensible dissolution of the greatly heralded and hyped community policing epoch in American policing, underscoring the evidenced increase in preoccupation with public security and ensuant surveillance. This is an ideal text for use in introduction to criminal justice and policing classes, or as a read for anyone interested in learning more about the American law enforcement system. Christine Ivie is a PhD Candidate and an instructor in the Department of Criminal Justice at The University of Alabama. The preponderance of Ms. Ivie’s independent research involves exploration of cultural texts, including official mandates, as a means of understanding the relationship between law and society. Her current research involves cinematic analysis of human trafficking and other crimes in fictional films. Past projects examine mission statements for American inmates’ parenting programs, official directives born of Tony Blair’s Respect agenda, and provisions in southern statutes governing sex offender registration and notification.
