Police For The Future

Abstract Police for the Future analyses what the police are accomplishing in modern democratic countries and whether changes are needed. It argues that the police are failing to provide the protection against crime that the public so desperately wants. It assesses the impediments to effective crime prevention, describes the most promising reforms being tried by police, and analyses the choices modern societies have with respect to creating truly effective police forces. Based on extensive research in Australia, Britain, Canada, Japan, and the United States, it addresses four specific questions: (1) Are the police preventing crime? (2) Why are they not? (3) What changes could make them more successful? and (4) What reforms would produce a more effective crime-prevention police? Bayley analyses these questions in a style accessible to laypersons and specialists concerned about contemporary crime and criminal justice.