Sense and Nonsense about Crime, Drugs, and Communities, Introduction by Samuel Walker

Samuel Walker's SENSE AND NONSENSE ABOUT CRIME, DRUGS, AND COMMUNITIES was one of the first books to challenge common misconceptions about crime, and the new Eighth Edition remains uniquely effective at doing so. Described as a "masterful critique" of American policies on everything from crime control, to guns, to drugs, this incisive book cuts through popular myths and political rhetoric while emphasizing current research and proven practice. The result is a lucid, research-based work that clearly reveals what does not work in crime policy while identifying shared characteristics of successful approaches, including carefully defined, narrowly focused, problem-oriented programs in policing and prosecution. This engaging text captures the full complexity of the administration of justice while providing readers with a clear sense of its key principles and general patterns. Samuel Walker is a widely quoted expert on issues of civil liberties, policing and criminal justice policy. He is the author of 14 books on those subjects, which have appeared in a combined total of 36 editions. He has been interviewed in every major media outlet in the United States and around the world, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, PBS/Frontline, CNN and others. Sam's books include The New World of Police Accountability (2nd ed., with Carole Archbold, 2014); Sense and Nonsense About Crime (8th ed., 2014); Presidents and Civil Liberties From Wilson to Obama (2012); and The Police in America (with Chuck Katz, 8th ed., 2012). In the summer of 1964 Sam was a volunteer in Mississippi Freedom Summer, working to register African American voters. He spent most of the next two years in Mississippi, all in Gulfport. In June 2013, he was an expert witness in the case against the stop and frisk practices of the New York City Police Department. He was the remedies expert, testifying about what court-ordered remedies would curb the unconstitutional practices. He spent five hours on the stand. The judges' ruling in August 2013 found the NYPD's practices unconstitutional, and about 85% of her remedies order came from Sam's testimony. Go to Sam's police accountability and civil liberties web site: http://samuelwalker.net/ Although retired from teaching, Sam continues to write and speak on issues of police accountability and civil liberties.