Arvind Verma

In a democratic society, police are expected to be accountable to the people they serve, upholding the rights of citizens and following due process. In India, however, political pressure in the competitive electoral arena forces the police to adopt questionable means and dubious strategies. As a hierarchical bureaucratic organization, disciplined in a military tradition and schooled in colonial traditions of deference to authority figures, India’s police personnel have effectively alienated the very people they are supposed to serve and protect. In response to the overwhelmingly bleak pessimism of researchers and analysts scrutinizing India’s police force, The New Khaki: The Evolving Nature of Policing in India highlights those unobtrusive and indirect paths toward effective transformation in spite of politicians and bureaucrats. Analyzing the obstacles to reform, the book argues forcefully and systematically to present areas of potential innovation and successful case studies. Focusing on practical and actionable options, the book examines how the use of new technology, the judiciary, and other creative administrative mechanisms can give determined police leaders the methods to change the policing system and its practices. It also provides strong evidence for the role of research and scholarship in transforming the police organization, offering illustrative examples and creative responses to endemic problems. The case studies presented here suggest that even when the powerful sections of society and those who control the police are not ready to bring changes, imaginative police leadership can find creative means to transform their organization to serve the people. The New Khaki: The Evolving Nature of Policing in India is a must-read for all those who are concerned about policing and interested in its improvement for a better world.

The Evolving Nature of Policing in India

The New Khaki

Eli B. Silverman

John Eterno

This edited collection illuminates the weaknesses and strengths of crime reporting across a wide range of countries, with a focus on democratic countries in which the police bear some accountability to citizens. In one compendium, for the first time, this book documents how different countries record (or fail to record) crimes. With chapters written by native authors who are experts on the practices of their respective countries, the book explores practices in 15 different countries across the globe. Organized with a parallel, country-by-country approach, the book describes and analyzes methods police use to record crimes, with awareness that the counting of crimes is not only an issue of empirical measurement, but also one of social construction. Crime reporting practices vary widely by country. In some cases, reports are not taken, and in others, reports are carefully based on preliminary investigations. Willful manipulation of crime reports can and does occur, and the book explores related factors such as political pressure, personal ambition, community safety, and more. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter help the reader evaluate the significant issues influencing each country. The editors conclude by suggesting for best practices for crime reporting and the collection of crime data. A unique addition to this book is a foreword by Tofiq Murshudlu, the Head of Drugs and Crime for the United Nations in Vienna. The book is intended for a wide range of audiences, including policing scholars, law enforcement and community leaders, and students of criminal justice.

An Exercise in Police Discretion

How Countries Count Crime

John A. Eterno

This edited collection illuminates the weaknesses and strengths of crime reporting across a wide range of countries, with a focus on democratic countries in which the police bear some accountability to citizens. In one compendium, for the first time, this book documents how different countries record (or fail to record) crimes. With chapters written by native authors who are experts on the practices of their respective countries, the book explores practices in 15 different countries across the globe. Organized with a parallel, country-by-country approach, the book describes and analyzes methods police use to record crimes, with the awareness that the counting of crimes is not only an issue of empirical measurement, but also one of social construction. Crime reporting practices vary widely by country. In some cases, reports are not taken, and in others, reports are carefully based on preliminary investigations. Willful manipulation of crime reports can and does occur, and the book explores related factors such as political pressure, personal ambition, community safety, and more. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter help the reader evaluate the significant issues influencing each country. The editors conclude by suggesting best practices for crime reporting and the collection of crime data. A unique addition to this book is a foreword by Tofiq Murshudlu, the Head of Drugs and Crime for the United Nations in Vienna. The book is intended for a wide range of audiences, including policing scholars, law enforcement and community leaders, and students of criminal justice.

Ramesh Sharma

Argues that a corrupt state maintains the façade of rule of law but will not permit any inquiry beyond that of individual deviance.

Combating Corruption in India

Dilip K. Das

Jay S. Albanese

Written by natives of each of the many countries represented here, this unique collection illustrates the similarities and differences in organized crime around the world. Each country's demographics and location is described and the introduction to each section indicates how the events in other nations on each continent continue to shape the nature and extent of organized crime in many different countries. This compilation of essays provides an analysis of organized crime from the North American, European, Asian, South American, Australasian and African perspectives, as well as the criminal justice response to organized crime. For those interested in a comprehensive analysis of organized crime around the world.

Arvind Verma

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