In the most understandable and comprehensive text to date on the subject of community policing, the authors trace the historical development of American policing through the community era of present day. They introduce readers to the concept of community in modern society and explore changes in the function and legitimacy of police organizations. The text offers numerous highlighted commentaries in every chapter from police officers, deputy sheriffs, chiefs, and other practitioners as well as noted police scholars. These real-world examples illustrate themes and issues to students. Community Policing in a Community Era emphasizes agency leadership, problem-solving, community engagement, coactive policing, organizational change, and strategic planning. Key topics include:

* A history of American policing
* Policing at a time of change
* Why police organizations change
* Community policing in action
* The role of leaders and managers
* Community engagement
* Selecting and training employees for community policing
* Implementing community policing
* Evaluating community policing
* The future of community policing