cover image Above the Law: Police and the Excessive Use of Force

Above the Law: Police and the Excessive Use of Force

Jerome H. Skolnick. Free Press, $27.95 (313pp) ISBN 978-0-02-929312-6

Highly publicized cases in Los Angeles, Detroit and Nashville during the past year make this study of police violence, which is likely to become a classic in law enforcement literature, especially timely. Skolnick, a University of California law professor, and Fyfe, a former New York City police officer who teaches criminal justice at Temple University, examine vigilante justice, the practice of ``third degree'' interrogation and ``public order'' policing; in so doing they place their subject in a historical context and exhibit an awareness of the changing styles of police work. They consider factors contributing to police brutality, causes of this abusive behavior (such as the ``war on drugs'' mentality) and remedies. In a conclusion that may surprise some readers, they aver that police violence has decreased over the past few decades because of improved police management, particularly with increased numbers of minority mayors and police chiefs. (Mar.)