Dr. Leonard Steverson has published his second book Policing in America. The attached photo and press release have more on this story.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 12, 2007

South Georgia College
Contact:           J.R. Charles
                       912.389.4338 

SGC professor publishes new book Policing in America 

            South Georgia College professor and native of McRae, Ga., Dr. Leonard Steverson has published a book titled Policing in America: A Reference Handbook. It is the second book Dr. Steverson has published – the first book being an academic guide titled Giants in Sociology – and was on Amazon.com’s Top 50 of its Hot New Release list after its summer debut.  

            As a former probation officer, Dr. Steverson has gained an insider’s advantage into street-level police work. That work experience, coupled with academic training, allowed him to teach a course on policing in his current job as a professor of Sociology at SGC. “I’m fascinated with the police as control agents,” says Dr. Steverson, “and I wanted to delve a little deeper into that idea.” 

            “Many people are intrigued with the ‘police mystique,’ as one writer put it,” continues Dr. Steverson. According to his research, the United States has an unusually large number of police agencies. Other countries, like Japan or Ireland, have one national police force as opposed to the numerous municipalities in America. “No one even knows the exact number of these agencies in the United States, and this creates some challenges for communication between them.” 

            Policing in America has a community focus as it relates to contemporary America, especially after the turbulent times of the 1950s and 1960s. In response to police measures used to quell inner-city riots and anti-war protests, President Lyndon Johnson commissioned a study that recommended new ways of community policing, which established the police force as community problem-solvers.  

            As mentioned in Dr. Steverson’s book, the trend of policing has evolved since the crime-fighting model developed after the 1970s. Rather than response-driven policing which investigates a crime after it is committed, today’s police force tries to prevent crimes before they happen. According to Dr. Steverson’s research, the idea of preventative policing is gaining traction through the use of modern science and information sharing policies. 

            “In short, this book is an informative reference guide to the front end of the criminal justice system,” says Dr. Steverson. Through examples in the history of policing, biographies of key players in law enforcement, and reader-friendly facts and figures, Policing in America gives its audience a well-organized snapshot of law enforcement.

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            Policing in America chronicles the changing ideas and methods of social control by various societies. It traces the development of modern policing from mankind’s first efforts at social control. Through the British roots of modern policing to the unique institution of American policing today, the work examines controversial issues ranging from police subculture and the potential for corruption to issues that will shape the future of policing. Policing in America is an essential reference for those interested in and affected by the American system of policing.