THE BOOK IS BASED ON STUDIES OF POLICE FORCES IN GERMANY, FRANCE, HOLLAND, ITALY, AND DENMARK. THE FORMATIVE YEARS OF THE EUROPEAN POLICE FORCES ARE TRACED, AND THE METHODS AND PRACTICES OF THE BRITISH POLICE ARE COMPARED WITH THOSE OF THEIR EUROPEAN COUNTERPARTS. THE BREAKDOWN OF LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC IS ANALYZED, AS ARE THE LONG-TERM EFFECT ON THE POLICE OF POLITICAL RIOTS IN HOLLAND AND IN PARIS. POLICE ORGANIZATION AND THE LEGAL SYSTEMS WITHIN WHICH POLICE OPERATE IN WEST GERMANY, FRANCE, HOLLAND, ITALY, AND OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES ARE DESCRIBED, WITH REFERENCE TO TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT PRACTICES, COMPLAINT-HANDLING MECHANISMS, PUBLIC ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICE, AND POLICE-MINORITY RELATIONS. POLICE MANAGEMENT OF TERRORISM, TRAFFIC LAW ENFORCEMENT, MORALS OFFENSES, AND PUBLIC ORDER OFFENSES IS DISCUSSED. TRENDS IN THE RATES OF THESE AND OTHER CRIMES IN EUROPE ARE NOTED. THE POTENTIAL FOR COOPERATION AMONG EUROPEAN COUNTRIES IN POLICE AFFAIRS IS ASSESSED. IT IS ARGUED THAT POLICE SHOULD BE WELL TRAINED, WELL PAID, AND PROFESSIONAL, AND THAT THE POLICE FORCES OF EUROPE, WHICH FACE MANY SIMILAR PROBLEMS, WOULD BENEFIT GREATLY FROM MUCH CLOSER LINKS AND MORE EXTENSIVE EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION. TABULAR DATA, REFERENCES, AND AN INDEX ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)