This leading text on policing applies a multi-causal model to explain police issues, integrating the history, social context, and correlates of policing into a theoretical understanding of policing in America. The book is designed to encourage students to see the relationships between three primary correlates of police practice—communities, police organizations, and individuals. Praised for its scholarship, both the breadth and depth of coverage, this is the only book that seeks to integrate the broad research literature on policing into a coherent perspective. It guides students in developing an appreciation for the “big pictures”, and an integrated understanding of policing. This edition retains the best of earlier editions, plus includes improvements suggested by colleagues and the latest findings from the continually expanding body of policing knowledge.