Police Association Power, Politics, and Confrontation

Book excerpt: This volume explains how police labor leaders can accumulate and effectively use power as the primary means of achieving the goals of a police labor organization. The text defines the concept of power, discusses how a police association can build power, and explains politics as the ultimate source of police association power. It also examines the use of confrontation as a power tool, discusses the importance of press relations as a means to achieve power, and assesses 10 case studies to demonstrate the principles discussed in the previous sections. The final section presents a historical perspective on the police labor movement in the United States and describes the current national organizations that are trying to organize the police. The authors have a combined 60 years of experience as attorneys, union organizers, and political consultants in activities that include bargaining contracts, representing police officers, leading local and statewide political conflicts, and assisting police associations in achieving their goals.