From its beginnings in England as a constabulary, intended only to keep the peace rather than to make arrests, policing has had a tumultuous, controversial history. The police represent an essential law enforcement entity to some, while others see police officers as often corrupt, prone to unfair racial profiling, and quick to use unnecessary force.

Police and Law Enforcement examines many aspects of policing in society, including their common duties, legal regulations on those duties, problematic policing practices, and alternatives to traditional policing. Topics in this volume include such hotly debated topics as accountability, arrest practices, bounty hunters, entrapment, Miranda warnings, police privatization, profiling, vigilantes, and zero-tolerance policing. The 20 chapters present the most hotly contested debates and offer solutions to potential and perceived problems.

The Series

The five brief, issues-based books in SAGE Reference′s Key Issues in Crime & Punishment Series offer examinations of controversial programs, practices, problems or issues from varied perspectives. Volumes correspond to the five central subfields in the Criminal Justice curriculum: Crime & Criminal Behavior, Policing, The Courts, Corrections, and Juvenile Justice.

Each volume consists of approximately 20 chapters offering succinct pro/con examinations, and Recommended Readings conclude each chapter, highlighting different approaches to or perspectives on the issue at hand. As a set, these volumes provide perfect reference support for students writing position papers in undergraduate courses spanning the Criminal Justice curriculum. Each title is approximately 350 pages in length.