Section one provides an overview of policing and attempts to better clarify the nature of police work relative to the public. Many issues and topics are explored, such as police effectiveness in controlling crime and relative merits of reactive versus proactive policing. Section two traces the historical development of police patrols, specifically examining the nature of patrol work, the Kansas City patrol study, response time studies, specialized patrol, and differential responses. Section three explores the criminal investigation process, with a focus on undercover work. Section four looks at special operations in law enforcement, while the final section discusses community policing and problem-solving. References, notes, tables, and figures