ABSTRACT
In 2005 a document titled “Post 9-11 Policing: The Crime Control–Homeland Security Paradigm” was released by the International Association of Chiefs of Police in cooperation with other professional law enforcement organizations and the U.S. Department of Justice. 1 This represents a serious and sustained attempt by professional law enforcement to provide not only a position statement but also a set of recommendations for the operation of municipal policing in the post 9-11 environment. As important as this document is, however, it cannot be accepted at face value, but must undergo independent scholarly scrutiny by persons not affiliated with the organization which produced it. This is not to suggest that law enforcement has an ax to grind or cannot be trusted insofar as its findings or recommendations are concerned. Far from it. All professional organizations seek to maximize whatever economic and/or social benefits may accrue to its members through their collective actions (Chriss 1999b). This means that the interests of professional organizations, including those of law enforcement, must be balanced against the interests of the general public.
