From a psychosociological point of view, the power of arrest can be considered as indicative of the underlying strata of a country's society. Frequently, arrest is also seen as an indicator of the mentality or professional ideology of a particular country's police. The article analyzes international research on arrest-related problems from 1970-1978 the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Israel, and the Federal Republic of Germany, and other countries. The issues raised include the definitions of arrest, its varied legal context, its application, and the influence of arrest on crime rates. The procedures of arrest, police attitudes toward arrest, citizen rights, and the relation between investigation and arrest are also discussed. The article concludes that the professional literature shows great awareness of this crucial police issue and raises a wide range of subjects, issues, and problems. However, in order to reach a more scientific level of discussion, researchers need to abandon their individual partisan view of the issue and exercise greater objectivity. Regardless of political creeds, police research must strive to present a neutral view of general human values so that the police can assume its true function--that of protecting the population.