Policing the Homeless: An Ethical Dilemma |
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Authors: | John Kleinig |
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Institution: | John Jay College of Criminal Justice, 445 West 59th Street, New York, New York, 10019 |
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Abstract: | The homeless challenge police to reconsider their social role, the constituency they serve, the alliances they should form, and the activities they should engage in. This paper considers three conceptions of the police role — law enforcement, order maintenance, and social peacekeeping — and indicates how they impinge on treatment of the homeless. The moral challenge posed by the homeless favors the peacekeeping conception, but the inadequate resources available to police make it essential that they consider alliances with social service organizations, and even some form of collective lobbying or public conscientization. |
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