Thecurrentcrisisinpolicingcanbetracedtofailuresofreform.

"Sparrowsurelyisrighttocondemnpolicingdirectedonlyatcrimeratesratherthancommunitysatisfaction."-TheNewYorkTimesBookReview


Inthepasttwoyears,AmericahaswitnessedincendiarymilestonesinthepoorrelationsbetweenpoliceandtheAfrican-Americancommunity:Ferguson,Baltimore,andmorerecentlyBatonRouge,St.Paul,andDallas.


MalcolmSparrow,whoteachesatHarvardKennedySchoolofGovernmentandisaformerBritishpolicedetective,arguesthatotherfactorsinthedevelopmentofpolicetheoryandpracticeoverthelasttwenty-fiveyearshavealsoplayedamajorroleincontributingtothesetragediesandtoagreatmanyothercasesinvolvingexcessivepoliceforceandcommunityalienation.


Sparrowshowshowthecoreideasofcommunityandproblem-solvingpolicinghavefailedtothrive.Inmanypolicedepartmentsthesefoundationalideashavebeenreducedtomererhetoric.Theresultisheavyrelianceonnarrowquantitativemetrics,wherepolicedefinehowwelltheyaredoingbytallyinguptrafficstops,orarrestsmadeforpettycrimes.


Sparrow'sanalysisshowswhatitwilltakeforpolicedepartmentstoescapetheirnarrowfocusandperversemetricsandturnbacktomakingpublicsafetyandpubliccooperationtheirprimarygoals.Police,accordingtoSparrow,areintherisk-controlbusinessandneedtograspthefundamentalnatureofthatchallengeanddevelopamuchmoresophisticatedunderstandingofitsimplicationsformission,methods,measurement,partnerships,andanalysis.