Editorial
In this issue, we are pleased to include a collection of papers exploring the use and effects of less lethal weapons. Professor Robert Kazinski of the University of South Carolina edited this special collection and deserves our thanks for his efforts in bringing these papers to publication. In addition to these six papers, the issue contains four more articles exploring other important policing issues.
Two of these articles address the impact or “fit” of changes in police purposes or practices on community relations and organizational values or“soul.” The remaining two papers examine the relationship between the police and the community. One explores the adequacy of training for police to engage in community policing while the second explores police officer attitudes towards the community. All of the articles focus on timely questions concerning what police do, how they do it, and what may be the correlates of police practice. As usual, we believe this issue will be useful to police administrators and scholars who are seeking improved understandings of the police and police practice.
The issue also contains the “Perspectives on policing” feature which reviews and summarizes much of the latest published research on policing. A “Policing on the web” review is also included. Finally, this issue contains a review of the recent book, Policing and Stress. We encourage you to consider contributing to the journal as well through preparing reviews,submitting articles, or even simply suggesting topics for future issues.
As always, we welcome your suggestions and opinions about how we can improve the journal. Please feel free to contact us, should you have questions,comments, or concerns. Also, consider volunteering to serve as a manuscript referee. For the journal to continue its tradition of high standards requires the participation of police practitioners and scholars in the important roles of author and reviewer.
Lawrence F. Travis III
