Given widespread media attention to issues of crime and its prevention, police heroism, and new modes of police-community involvements, this international collection is timely. It is unique in examining ways in which police and citizens communicate across a range of contexts and problem areas. While much attention is afforded the critical roles of communication by police agencies, there has been little recourse to communication science and its theories. Likewise, the latter has not, until recently, concerned itself with analyzing police-citizen interactions. This volume examines the character of such encounters, forging new theoretical frameworks having implications for practice in many instances. Topics include media portrayals of law enforcement, communication and new technologies within police culture, domestic violence, hate crimes, stalking, sexual abuse, and hostage negotiations. This book should be relevant not only to a range of social sciences besides Communication scholars and students, but also to practitioners working in the field.

Table of Contents

Foreward Camerino Sanchez ix•x Revoking our right to remain silent: Law enforcement communication in the 21st century Michelle Chernikoff Anderson, Thomas J. Knutson, Howard Giles and MaryLinda Arroyo 1•32 Community policing as communication reform Ed Maguire and William Wells 33•66 Attitudes, culture and emotion in police talk Keith Tuffin 67•83 The impact of contemporary communication and information technologies on police organizations Andrew J. Flanagin 85•105 Fictional cops: Who are they, and what are they teaching us? Jan J.M. v.d. Bulck 107•127 Communication issues in policing family violence Mary Anne Fitzpatrick 129•153 The discourse of police interviews: The case of sexually abused children Ann-Christin Cederborg 155•172 In the shadow of the stalker: The problem of policing unwanted pursuit Brian H. Spitzberg 173•200 Signs and cultural messages of bias motivated crimes: Analysis of the hate component of intergroup violence Edward Dunbar 201•228 Crisis/hostage negotiations: A communication-based approach Randall Gage Rogan and Mitchell R. Hammer 229•254 Subject index 255•265