Title

Policing disasters: The role of police in the pre-disaster planning and post-disaster responses

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Sociology of Crime Law and Deviance

Publication Date

12-1-2012

Abstract

Purpose: This chapter provides an overview to the challenges of policing both natural and man-made disasters. Questions surrounding police preparedness to respond to large-scale disasters as well as the causes of failure are likely one of the single biggest system threats faced by police today. Design/methodology/approach: The chapter starts out with a short discussion about the important impact the 9/11 attacks as well as both Hurricanes Katrina and Rita had on policing in the United States. The materials presented also provide a conceptual framework for understanding the meaning of "disasters," as well as making sense of the effectiveness of the police response. Finally, this chapter provides an overview of the role of police in disasters, and more importantly, their role in "creating order out of chaos" (Punch & Markham, 2000). © 2012 by Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Volume

17

First Page

83

Last Page

112

DOI

10.1108/S1521-6136(2012)0000017008

ISSN

15216136

ISBN

9781780529141

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