Publisher's Synopsis
The author outlines the historical development of the police force, analyzes their established role, the ways in which it has changed and the prospects for the future.;He argues that the capacity of the police to reduce crime-rates is inevitably marginal, pointing to the fact that the public not only discover and report the majority of offences, but also provide the solutions.;The police have an undefined and complex relationship with the law, the State and the community. The obscurity of their tasks and range of powers not only makes their job a very difficult one but also renders the whole police institution vulnerable to authoritarianism.;The author suggests that we should concern ourselves with the formal constitutional status of the force, protecting its independence and extending its accountability.
