Small Town Cops: A Sociological Analysis

by Mark A. Edwards

Small Town Cops is a detailed and insightful participant observant analysis of a rural community police department. This research combines observations of street action and interviews with police officers, jailers, dispatchers and inmates to present a candid overview of the problems that afflict the lives of officers working in a small town. Small Town Cops provides readers with and exploration into the world of policing by focusing on issues relating to comradeship, racism, sexism, interpersonal communication and the "blue shield of silence". The research debunks the belief that small town cops are backward, uneducated, and without professional ethics. Moreover, it exposes readers to the complexities faced by small town officers, when compared to their urban counterparts. Small Town Cops provides a first-hand look at the tactics employed by officers in an effort to overcome the complexities associated with small town life. The data also exposes the strategies employed by officers to find balance between their personal, professional, and community expectations and goals. This study is of value to anyone interested in sociology, criminal justice, policing and ethnographic research.

160 pages, Paperback

First published August 25, 2004