Police Field Operations: Theory Meets Practice

by Michael L. Birzer, Cliff Roberson

This text covers major areas of police operations including patrol, investigations, crime mapping, police operations in culturally diverse communities, community policing, persons with physical disabilities, and juveniles, hot pursuit issues, communications, gangs, and drugs.

624 pages, Hardcover

First published September 16, 2007

About the author

Dr. Michael L. Birzer is a Professor of Criminal Justiceat Wichita State University, Kansas, USA. His primary teaching area is Qualitative Research Methods. Dr. Birzer’s research interests include qualitative research, police behavior and operations, the intersection of race and police contacts, and racial profiling.

Professor Birzer received both his bachelor and master's degrees from Wichita State University, where he is also a Wichita State University Leadership Fellow. He earned his doctorate from Oklahoma State University, and he completed post-doctoral course work in qualitative research methods at Kansas State University. Upon obtaining his doctorate, Dr. Birzer held academic appointments at East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma, and at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas.

Prior to his entry into academia Dr. Birzer retired after 18 years of service in law enforcement. His rank upon retirement was a lieutenant with the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department in Wichita, Kansas. Dr. Birzer also served on numerous community boards and committees.

His most recent book publications include: Police Field Operations: Theory Meets Practice 2nd Edition (2015) Pearson/Prentice-Hall; In Their Own Words: Criminals on Crime, 7th ed. (2017) Oxford Publishing, (with Paul Cromwell); Racial Profiling: They Stopped me Becuase I'm ---- (2013) CRC Press; Principles of Leadership and Management in Law Enforcement (2012) CRC Press; Introduction to Criminal Investigation (2011), CRC Press; Introduction to Private Security: Theory Meets Practice (2010), Pearson/Prentice-Hall; Police Field Operations: Theory Meets Practice (2008), Allyn and Bacon; and, Policing Today and Tomorrow (2007) Pearson/Prentice-Hall.