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June 2017 Vol. 54 No. 10

The two forewords to this book, one by a noted surgeon and another by a career homicide detective, place this work exactly in context. The volume is designed to attract attention to national problems, including a lack of psychiatric services for those individuals who most need them, and the tendency for public psychiatry to be shifted to law enforcement. Authors Liebert, a psychiatrist, and Birnes, chairman of the Sunrise Community Counseling Center in Los Angeles, California, convincingly articulate that an approach to public safety that does not address psychiatric concerns can hardly be considered an appropriate method. A wide array of cases from large cities to smaller communities—including several that garnered both national and international attention and concern—outline a fundamental need to consider issues like violence, mental illness, dementia, terrorism, and other threats, as public safety concerns. More importantly, the authors suggest techniques by which these concerns can be addressed, places where individuals can get help, and how preventive measures can be taken. This work is recommended for all individuals in public safety roles.

--R. E. Osborne, Texas State University

Summing Up: Recommended. Faculty and professionals.