In clarifying what is meant by "democracy," the author refers to the body of writing on democratic theory. The discussion focuses on the division between writers who view democracy as a set of social ideals and those who view it as a set of political institutions. The central argument of the paper is that discussions about democracy are ultimately concerned with values. In discussing policing and the democratic ideal, the author notes that the powers that the police have for the protection of fundamental freedoms also provide the potential for abuse of these freedoms; how society regulates and controls the organization and powers of the police is therefore a crucial indicator of the nature of the political and social order. The concepts discussed are legitimacy and consent, the tripartite structure for the 41 provincial forces in England and Wales, local democracy, community democracy, and market solutions. The section on democratic criteria for police governance addresses the values of equity, delivery of service, responsiveness, distribution of power, information, redress, and participation. The article concludes with a discussion of how to develop institutional forms through which all or the majority of democratic criteria can be applied in policing. 41 references