In Alderson's view, police must accept and be acceptable to local community values in the multicultural society of Great Britain. The local beat officer should nurture harmonious relationships through a routine presence in the community. However, the reality is that many communities are hostile to the police, and other communities contain subgroups which sharply conflict in their values. The police should not passively accept community values, and communities are too populous for foot patrol officers to know everyone. Foot patrols also cannot respond quickly in an emergency. The 19th century constable, the ideal of community policing advocates, was in fact corrupt. Police exist to contain the violence in society and need the authority to intervene, with force if necessary, in almost any emergency. In the inner cities, what is most needed is an impartial, impersonal police authority and the restrained use of police force. Policing alone, and least of all community policing, will not solve the problems of the inner cities. Fifty-three references are listed.