Talking to Strangers

by

Malcolm Gladwell

Charles Remsberg Character Analysis

Charles Remsberg is the author of Tactics for Criminal Control (1995), the unofficial guide to the Kansas City style of preventative patrol policing that emerged after Kansas City successfully implemented preventative control tactics to lower crime. Remsberg’s book urges officers to “go beyond the ticket” and use routine traffic stops as a starting point for charging motorists with more serious offenses. He instructs officers to look for “curiosity ticklers,” behaviors police officers can construe as “suspicious” to justify traffic stops. For instance, if a motorist looks down at their passenger seat while driving in a bad part of town, it could give an officer reason to suspect the motorist is looking at a firearm, which gives the officer cause for a traffic stop.
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Charles Remsberg Character Timeline in Talking to Strangers

The timeline below shows where the character Charles Remsberg appears in Talking to Strangers. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter Twelve: Sandra Bland
Limitations of Transparency  Theme Icon
Coupling Theory and Context  Theme Icon
Self vs. Stranger  Theme Icon
The unofficial guide to Kansas City-style policing is Tactics for Criminal Patrol by Charles Remsberg (1995). Remsberg calls for officers to “go beyond the ticket,” meaning they should pursue “curiosity... (full context)
Default to Truth Theme Icon
Coupling Theory and Context  Theme Icon
...a random day in Encinia’s career, September 11, 2014, to see how the officer applies Remsberg’s methods to his policing. Predictably, much of Encinia’s day consists of pulling people over for... (full context)
Default to Truth Theme Icon
Coupling Theory and Context  Theme Icon
Self vs. Stranger  Theme Icon
Remsberg advises proactive patrol officers to pull over everyone to avoid being accused of racial profiling.... (full context)