The fight is not over.

The Appellate court came back with its decision to overturn the jury's verdict. Personally, I don't understand our present judicial system, but I must abide by it. I have spoken with my attorney and we will be filing an appeal with the Supreme Court. This has been a very long process but I am patient. This was never about the money and I still feel vindicated. You can read the judges decision yourself.

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/03/nj_troopers_1m_verdict_for_discrimination_retaliat.html

The is pure ignorance. People in other countries speak at least two languages fluently. There is no reason why these police officers, aka, paid servants can't learn a few Spanish phrases.

http://countercurrentnews.com/2015/02/mississippi-cops-angry-as-city-forces-them-to-learn-a-few-spanish-phrases/

What is going on in America?

http://countercurrentnews.com/2015/02/police-unarmed-african-american-mother-and-infant/

To sue or not to sue.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/18/politics/ferguson-justice-department-lawsuit/

As the U.S Attorney prepares to exit stage left, he is possibly attempting to leave a legacy regarding race relations and the law enforcement community. Is it a little too late?

Job prospects.

A lot of my students are faced with the fear of graduating college and not being able to find employment. The job market is being flooded with highly education people who are competing fiercely against one another for the morsels of positions. So, what is a college educated person to do?  Don't get frustrated, get busy by staying ahead of your contemporaries. Go the extra mile and pay attention to the little things like character, diction, presentation and genuineness. It might seem rather simple, and it is, but many overlook the basics. Let a prospective employer see your authentic self in the initial interview and more than likely, you will be called back. Stay clear of controversial verbiage on any social media website because this will come back to haunt you for a very long time. Also, volunteer your time to help out someone else who is in need of assistance. More importantly, treat everyone with respect regardless of their station in life.

Robert J. Duran (2013), Gang Life in Two Cities: An Insider’s Journey, Columbia University Press

Brian L. Royster

Saint Peter’s University

Scholarly literature pertaining to gangs is primarily written from the perspective of a researcher outside the purview of the gang. However, it is not often that a researcher possesses institutional gang knowledge, coupled with academic credentials and can strategically place a face and voice to the subject matter. This type of research is invaluable because it provides the reader with a peek into gang life. Although there are scores of books regarding gangs, Robert Duran’s, Gang Life in Two Cities, An Insider’s Journey is positioned to separate itself from the pack.

     The book is made up of seven chapters and is partially a narrative inquiry about Duran’s life, which is a powerful way of telling a story and makes it more compelling. The author has conducted this comparative analysis research in two unlikely states, Utah and Colorado, which have not been nationally highlighted as experiencing serious gang problems. In Utah, which is a conservative Mormon state, Duran cites difficulties Latinos faced trying to acclimate. In Colorado, he explains the community’s reaction to an increasing Latino population.

     The author’s status as a former gang member allowed him access to the inner workings of its lifestyle and is the book’s central theme. In Chapters 1 through 4, Duran discusses how he divorced himself from the gang through the help of a support system, but observed other Latinos continually face problems with race relations, intolerance, and immigration into predominately white communities. His book is timely because of the ongoing debate regarding United States immigration policy, and it explores why opportunities for minorities are different from those more fortunate. In a sense, it is an American story continually played out across state lines.

    The author’s depictions about his gang involvement are expressed throughout the book and are important to its authenticity. Nevertheless, what makes the book more interesting are the 145 interviews, conducted with former gang members, which are replete with anecdotes of negative police interactions. Their voices are poignant and afford the reader a greater insight as to why they joined a gang. Duran argues that their harassment by the police is tantamount to racial oppression and has a causal effect on their behavior.

    In examining the author’s interviews, the reader may come away with the impression that gang members are just making excuses.  To that end, Duran cites responses by gang members who claim that their lack of faith in the judicial system and non-support from mainstream society could be argued is strong justification for why gangs exist. Yet Duran counters that a self-fulfilling prophecy expressed by gang members is a more prominent explanation.

     In Chapter 5, Negotiating Membership, he analyzes numerous influences, e.g., marginalized neighborhoods, family survival, gender socialization, friendships and school experience, which are contributory to gang inclusion. This is important because as Duran writes, “the barrios of both Denver and Ogden brought together marginalized individuals who felt blocked from attaining legitimate opportunities” (pg.120). So, can they be blamed for not wanting to fit in and be accepted? Duran argues that the suffering of Latinos due to mainstream society causes them to contain their internal pain, only to inflict it on others.

     Chapter 6, The Only Locotes Standing discusses the reasons that hold gangs together. Duran claims his interest in this phenomenon was inspired by the work of French sociologist, Emile Durkheim and sought to answer the question of “Why did individuals stay committed despite negative outcomes?” It is in this chapter where Duran’s insider perspective sheds light on how the media personified the gang member and gave them a feeling of importance. Nonetheless, he noted that many gang members eventually recognize the internal contradictions and subsequently leave the gang.

    The author posits in Chapter 7, Barrio Empowerment that his research provides alternatives to reducing gang membership and violence. As such, there can be no more an important question confounding law enforcement and academia than why an individual seeks involvement. To his credit, the book is abounding with recommendations and strategies for gang prevention, which are well reasoned and very persuasive. Notwithstanding, his overall objective is to change the gang paradigm and address deficiencies in gang literature. Duran found the literature to be overwhelmingly written by outsiders and contradicts arguments made by critical race theorists (CRTs). Duran contends that CRTs offer a different “voice-of-color” to research and recognizes the importance of insiders.

    Duran’s book is worthy of consideration as an addendum to an introductory gang textbook, and not a primary source, solely because it doesn’t provide a more detailed historical perspective of other gangs, which could be necessary to the reader for contextual purposes. As an insider, however, his research could definitely spark a discussion amongst students in a classroom setting. This book is just as important to academia because it advances the debate, made by many scholars, regarding the credentials of theorists compared with practitioners. Fortunately, Duran’s in-depth examination of his gang experiences and pedagogical research represents both. In addition, law enforcement personnel could also find value in his book regarding how gang members perceive them. Inasmuch as his book may be construed as being biased, because he is Latino and a former gang member, Duran’s slant cannot be discounted thus making his book important for several disciplines.

The Future of Policing

 The Future of Policing: A Practical Guide for Police Managers and Leaders

By Joseph A. Schafer and others; Reviewed by Dr. Brian L. Royster

***** The Future of Policing: A Practical Guide for Police Managers and Leaders. By Joseph A. Schafer and others. CRC Press, www.crcpress.com; [1] 432 pages; $83.95; also available as an e-book.

In the early 1930s, former police chiefs August Vollmer and O.W. Wilson exposed the law enforcement profession to three stages of improvement: the Political Era, the Reform Era, and the Community Era. In this new work, authors Joe Schafer, Michael Buer­ger, Rick Myers, Carl Jensen, and Bud Levin have expanded upon the former police chiefs’ research and have written a best-practices text directed toward law enforcement executives.
This well-crafted book, replete with anecdotes, systematically addresses issues such as technology, hiring practices, training, budgets, labor relations, evolving communities, and post 9-11 trends that challenge today’s police departments. The reader will come away with a wealth of information from sections in the book called “Voices from the Field.” These are the words of law enforcement professionals who have shared their experiences, which augment the authors’ own perspectives.

As the title suggests, a hands-on approach provides police managers with up-to-date information on trends and practices. Yet it does not detract from the plethora of theoretical research, which examines policing in the future. More importantly, the authors have provided numerous examples of methods that police departments can use for future research to prepare them for internal and external issues.

The authors have framed their book around five themes crucial for police leaders to adopt and practice. Each theme explores how police leaders should respond to the ever-evolving law enforcement profession. Written specifically for law enforcement executives and police officers striving for advancement, this book will also encourage those dedicated to promoting the police profession through the use of foresight to continue with their futurist ideology.

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Reviewer: Dr. Brian L. Royster is an assistant professor at Saint Peter’s University and a retired New Jersey State Trooper. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association Command Institute for Law Enforcement Executives. He is a member of the ASIS International Crime and Loss Prevention Council.