The Police Identity Crisis

As the role of the police has become a hotly debated issue facing American society, this book identifies the various lenses through which contemporary law enforcement may be understood, each with its own implications for policy and practice. The author offers a well conceptualized framework that draws upon the nexus of law, philosophy, criminal justice, and field experience, blending real-world examples with philosophical context in a most engaging read. Relevant to scholars, practitioners, policy makers, and the public, this book will shape many future conversations about the law enforcement role. Stephen S. Owen Interim Chair, Department of Political Science and Professor of Criminal Justice Radford University From the psychology of archetypes, to an examination of warrior masculinity, the tenets of political liberalism, and the blue wall of silence , Luke Hunt provides a perspective on policing that only someone with his unique set of experiences can provide. This book is personal, political, and deeply insightful all at once. Barry Lam Slate's Hi-Phi Nation podcast and Associate Professor and Chair Vassar College Department of Philosophy It is hard to imagine a timelier book than this engaging and illuminating meditation on the current identity crisis of the police. Luke William Hunt provides a clear overview of a range of police self-understandings (hero, warrior, guardian), each of which is contextualized within a richly-described philosophical and psychological history, before developing his own conception of a police role rooted in the tradition of liberal democracy. A vital and rewarding read. Brian R. Clack Professor of Philosophy & A. Vassiliadis Director of the Humanities Center University of San Diego