The textbook is organized into five parts and 14 chapters, and each chapter builds to some extent on the previous one. The first part, an introduction and background, examines the origin of the police from historical and cross-cultural perspectives. Three chapters trace the evolution of policing from its earliest forms to how it has become an instrument of social control and social service. The second part, on police and society, sharpens the focus of analysis and begins with an examination of the role of the police in modern society and ends with a discussion of what it is like to work on the streets. The third part, on legal parameters of policing, and the fourth part, on police administration--discuss contemporary issues that pose substantial challenges to police officers and police administrators. The last section, on contemporary concerns and future challenges, probes several critical issues confronting the police, such as the use of deadly force, police liability, and affirmative action. Notes, tables, and figures