Book review: Handbook of Policing

Handbook of Policing is one of the latest contributions to the fields of criminology and police science, and given the rate at which policing has changed (and indeed continues to change), the publication of this text is timely. The Handbook of Policing contains 28 chapters, which are divided into four sections. The first section details the historical context in which policing is situated, thus facilitating a greater understanding of how the profession has evolved. The second section focuses on the contemporary position of policing within the realms of the local, national, international and transnational. The third section looks at policing operationally including the models and approaches adopted by police. Incorporated into this is an analysis of issues such as cybercrime, globalization, terrorism and organized crime. This audit of key areas provides a good basis from which the final section examines contemporary issues such as ethics, leadership, restorative justice and the future of policing. Each chapter concludes with a list of selected further reading. The inclusion of a glossary and detailed list of abbreviations and acronyms is useful, particularly for readers not familiar with some of the terms used within the United Kingdom. The explicit aim of this book is to analyse the way in which the changing nature of policing is represented and to examine how this representation relates to the actual reality of policing. A secondary aim is to identify and explore the direction and development of policing, while simultaneously contributing to the field through integrating the most recent research with critical analysis and commentary. The collation of this wide range of contributions into one volume is opportune given the gap that exists for well-researched and authoritative work on policing that addresses issues ranging from the historical through to the contemporary. Contributions have been sourced from a variety of authors including academics, criminologists and personnel of various police services. This makes the text essential reading for those seeking a thorough introduction to the world of policing. The targeted audience is identified as being ‘students, B O O K R E V I E W S