Civil Forensics
The overlapping fields of policing and psychology are not limited to crime and jus-
tice controversies afflicting adult and juvenile offenders. There are also many issues
that impact society in general. The domain of civil forensics and law enforcement
encompasses those topics in which the relationship between the police and the
public is called into question and more closely examined. There are many facets
to this relationship. Psychology is one medium that allows us to understand where
and how the police and the public interface.
In this chapter, six controversial matters are investigated. These topics include
(1) public attitudes toward the police, (2) exploring the police personality, (3) police
and the mentally ill, (4) community-oriented policing, (5) police training in com-
munication skills and conflict resolution, and (6) policing minority populations.
These subjects represent a limited set of issues confronting the civil forensic arena
of law enforcement. However, as with each chapter in this textbook, a wide array
of concerns is presented highlighting the breadth of the field.
The public's perception of law enforcement is substantially informed by the
media, especially popular television. How does the mass media influence public
perceptions and how do these sentiments affect societal attitudes toward the police"
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