"COWBOY" POLICING METHODS OUTMODED, EXPERTS SAY

BETHESDA, MD — Gung-ho antics and blasting firearms are growing obsolete in the world of law enforcement. To deal with terrorist threats and high-tech crime, police officers will rely more on training and mentoring, say police experts polled by criminologist Gene Stephens in the latest issue of THE FUTURIST magazine.

Stephens canvassed 13 law-enforcement experts to gain insight into what lies ahead for police officers in the twenty-first century. All the panelists are members of The Society of Police Futurists International, dedicated to applying futures techniques to policing. Stephens presents the results in the March-April 2005 issue of THE FUTURIST magazine.

Terrorism, new technologies, civil liberties, and threats to policing are some of the topics on the minds of the experts, who responded to questionnaires and participated in listserv discussions with Stephens.

"Bioterrorism, identity theft, cyberstalking, and crimes not yet defined will require more intelligent, better educated and trained, and more tech-savvy officers and leaders than are now available in policing," says Stephens, distinguished professor emeritus in the University of South Carolina’s criminology and criminal justice department. "The ‘cowboy’ officers drawn to policing to shoot guns, bark orders, and ‘kick butt’ are unlikely to accept the new role or be competent to fill it."

Forecasts for the future of policing include:

"Technology will allow fewer people to do much greater damage, driving an increased public demand for security. This will impact privacy and civil liberties, exacerbating tensions between the police and the community."
—Police inspector Tom Cowper

"Unqualified leadership — lacking vision or a sense of public service — poses the greatest threat to police."
— Criminologist William Tafoya, formerly with the FBI

"Public policing will be customized to the individual in the near future . . . depending on the threats to and needs of different citizens."
— Tyree Blocker, Pennsylvania State Police

"I see positive and true leaders . . . who have an open, honest dialogue with their communities as being among the most significant highlights for the future of policing."
— Criminal justice professor Jim Conser

"The expectations of law enforcement as first responder for homeland security have put an almost unachievable burden on local law enforcement."
— Judith Lewis, captain (retired), Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

The March-April 2005 issue of THE FUTURIST featuring "Policing the Future: Law Enforcement’s New Challenges" by Gene Stephens is available for $4.95 at bookstores and newsstands and from the World Future Society, 7910 Woodmont Ave., Suite 450, Bethesda, MD 20814.