This collection attempts to make a contribution to the integration of policing into the broader social context by striving to facilitate systematic inquiry by students of policing.

An in-depth critical analysis of how ruling elites use the police institution in order to control communities.

The most productive route to understanding the dynamic interrelationships of the police with society is to examine the recurring, central themes in policing. The articles in this anthology represent some of the best scholarship on compelling issues. Selected for both their complementary and competing natures, the articles serve as touchstones for one another—often challenging previous conceptions. Many selections question the methods by which information was acquired, the practices that evolved from that information, and the background assumptions behind the construction of practices. Some of the many issues and conflicts addressed in this collection include: What is the nature of the police role and function? Who benefits from police service? Who is harmed? How are public safety and social order secured while maintaining individual rights and freedoms? To what extent do our expectations about the police and society reflect our values and demands? Are the police a society unto themselves? Is policing at a critical crossroads? The editors assembled this volume with the goal of helping readers to identify underlying assumptions, to dissect how values influence inquiries, and to discover connections. A better understanding of the role of the police in society provides a solid foundation for assessing the efficacy of future police/society relationships.

Social, political, and economic relationships played key roles in the historical development of the police. The authors present policing strategies from the vantage points of marginalized communities and emphasize the intersection of attitudes about class, race/ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation with policies. Police practices cannot be class neutral in a class society, nor can they be race neutral or gender neutral in a racist, sexist, and heterosexist society. The key to understanding the relationship between the police and society is to think critically about the role of power and interests. The second edition includes a new chapter in the section on the police and rebellion covering recent events. There is also a new chapter on Latino/a police officers and an expanded chapter on LGBTQ police officers. Without meaningful social change toward greater justice, police reforms such as community policing and training in cultural diversity will fall short of creating an institution characterized by fairness and equality for all members of society. A clear view of history is essential for understanding the challenges a more diverse police force faces in today’s multicultural environment.