The fifth edition of the popular and highly acclaimed The Politics of the Police has been completely revised, expanded, and updated to take in recent changes in the law, policy, and organization of policing. Benjamin Bowling, Robert Reiner, and James Sheptycki, regarded as leading figures in the field, draw upon the findings of police research to provide readers with a stimulating and insightful discussion of the debates and controversies that surround the police, and analyse the proposals for reform. Covering a wide range of empirical and theoretical issues, this book is transnational in scope and reflects the growing diversity of policing forms in today's globalized world.