Preface
This reference book represents the culmination of centuries of events that have
occurred in early Amer i ca from the 17th century to the present. Since then, many
critical incidents have occurred, leading to the need to address the police and the
community. This encyclopedia was prepared to provide readers with an easy-to-
use, accurate, up-to-date guide to the controversial past and current controversies
facing our society in regard to relationships between the police and the public. It is
presented as a quick reference to the chain of events, technological advances, changes
in the law, and precedent-setting cases, confrontations, mandates, and debates that
have affected perceptions of the police today.
The encyclopedia provides a unique approach to presenting the historical mile-
stones that have affected police-community relationships. It allows the reader to
develop a sense of the “climate” over time, in a clear, concise, and neutral manner—
allowing them to increase their knowledge of previous and current events that
have affected the way law enforcement carries out its public safety mandates. In
addition, the focus on important and newsworthy situations allows undergradu-
ates, graduate students, educators, and laypersons to better grasp the effects these
incidents have had on the United States. By focusing on Blacks in conflict with the
police, readers are able to evaluate the interactions between the police and the pub-
lic, and the resulting influences that court cases, laws, encounters (often recorded),
and the media have had on those perceptions. They are also able to more clearly
identify why certain members of a community might have expectations that encoun-
ters with the police are going to end negatively. Those expectations might also
affect their attitudes and reactions.
Each entry highlights the effects of historical events and social factors, as well
as the influence of the media, in swaying public opinion and law-enforcement
response. The value of the encyclopedia as a reference tool lies in the short essays
that form the basis of more intensive investigations— a starting point for further
research. The selection of topics was based on the most important and pressing
issues that faced society in the past and that have shaped our views today. The
people, cases, incidents, and events included in the encyclopedia are only a part of
the many important factors that are worth examining in an effort to truly under-
stand police-citizen relationships. The topics chosen for inclusion represent a
diverse set of perspectives that affect the sentiment of minorities and non-
minorities, law enforcement and citizens, as well as liberals and conservatives.
The task of researching these historical milestones is complicated by the con-
flicting opinions of members of law enforcement in comparison to the opinions of