Topics addressed in discussing the function and role of the police are the daily business of policing, the availability of police officers, crime fighting versus peace keeping, the increase in frustration among police officers, administration and bureaucratization, and a rational policy in policing. A review of changes in policing philosophy considers the core values for police work, whether community policing is the solution to modern policing problems, and the futility of yoking crime prevention measures to the concept of "war on crime." The section that discusses the current state of policing in the world focuses on police work in the late modern society, policing policies in Europe, and police officers as knowledge brokers. Some special societal problems that face eastern Europe include the economic situation and increasing social problems, the situation of the police in a changing society, and the increase of self-defense groups due to weak policing. The concluding section addresses issues that will face the European police in the future. Issues discussed are increasing crime versus "more of the same," the management of future police forces, the calculation of justice and police work, and the challenge of the next century. 50 references