POLICE BRUTALITY

A balanced, well-organized summary of issues raised by the Rodney King case, effectively presenting some of the insights of modern sociology. With precision, Bornstein lays out the elements of the debate: law and order; relationships among ethnic groups; legal rights of the accused; due process; the role of police in society. Summarizing the historical background, he points out that police used ``tough tactics'' long before inner cities became predominantly black; discussing the causes of brutality, he quotes surveys showing that police officers today seem much less violence-oriented than ordinary citizens, but also presents the possibility that officers have become more sophisticated in concealing ``problem'' attitudes. Accounts of several specific incidents allow readers to make their own judgments on whether brutality occurred. Notes; chronology; bibliography (mostly news accounts); index. Highly recommended for social studies collections. (Nonfiction. 12+)