It is not easy to assess how close the Swiss police are to the citizenry on a daily basis. Unlike what happens in France where policing is defined by the capital city, Swiss federalism aims to ensure that the cantons and even towns, as the case may be, are solely responsible for police policymaking. Switzerland is thus apparently a laboratory where various police practices can be examined empirically. The various police operational practices can be captured in five main models, which can perhaps provide the kind of flexibility in community policing that can inform other policing endeavors within countries of the European Union. 13 references