The author begins with a discussion of policing itself and considers how the modern police force has emerged. Separate sections then focus on France and the Netherlands as examples of Western European societies: Canada and Hong Kong as influenced by the colonial tradition; Japan as an Eastern capitalist society; and the USSR, China and Cuba as contrasting examples of communist police systems. These and other countries are then considered in terms of the relationship between the police and the communities they 'serve'.

Critical issues addressed include the following: Are communist and capitalist systems of policing significantly different? What lessons are to be learnt from Japan, with its low crime rate? How accountable are the police in different societies, and to whom? To what extent is the 'character' of the police in any society determined by the wider culture, and social and political structure of that society? How practicable is it to transfer ideas about policing from one society to another?

The lowering of barriers within the European community and the return of Hong Kong to China are just two examples of the need for a comparative analysis of policing. Students of criminology and police studies, and police and others working in the criminal justice system will find this book an invaluable resource.