| Title | The Oxford Handbook of Police and Policing |
| Author(s) | Michael D. Reisig, Robert J. Kane |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
| Year | 2014 |
| Edition | First paperback edition 2019 |
| Language | English |
| Pages | 697 |
| ISBN | 9780199843886 |
| Series | Oxford Handbooks in Criminology and Criminal Justice |
| Genre | Criminology, Criminal Justice, Law Enforcement |
| Size | 6.11 MB |
| Extension |
Summary
The Oxford Handbook of Police and Policing stands as one of the most authoritative and comprehensive reference works on the institution of policing. Edited by Michael D. Reisig and Robert J. Kane, two of the most respected scholars in criminology and criminal justice, this volume was published by Oxford University Press in 2014 as part of the prestigious Oxford Handbooks series. The handbook brings together contributions from dozens of leading researchers to examine policing from multiple angles: its historical development, organizational dynamics, operational strategies, sources of authority, and the persistent challenges surrounding race, ethnicity, and community relations. What distinguishes this volume from other works on policing is its deliberate effort to bridge the gap between theoretical scholarship and practical concerns, making it equally valuable to academics, students, and police professionals seeking a rigorous understanding of how policing actually functions in democratic societies.
The handbook is organized into six major sections that systematically address the breadth of policing scholarship. The first section examines policing contexts, exploring the recent history of police forces, the politics that shape law enforcement priorities, and the organizational structures that govern police departments. The second section focuses on policing strategies, covering problem-oriented policing, community policing, order maintenance approaches, and the controversial practice of zero tolerance enforcement. The third section tackles police authority, delving into legitimacy, coercion, the use of technologies like Tasers, and the persistent problem of misconduct. Subsequent sections address race and ethnicity in policing, including racial profiling and police relations with immigrant communities, before turning to the variety of research methodologies used to study policing and concluding with forward-looking analyses of where the institution may be heading.
One of the handbook's greatest strengths lies in its contributors, who collectively represent the leading edge of policing research. The volume features chapters by scholars such as Anthony A. Braga on problem-oriented policing, Gary Cordner on community policing, Wesley G. Skogan on community surveys, Peter K. Manning on ethnographic approaches, and many other distinguished academics. Each chapter provides not only a synthesis of existing knowledge but also original insights and critical assessments of current practices. Readers will find detailed discussions of how police departments attempt to balance crime control with democratic accountability, how police legitimacy is built or eroded through daily interactions with citizens, and how emerging technologies and social changes are reshaping the nature of police work in the twenty-first century.
The Oxford Handbook of Police and Policing is designed for a broad academic and professional audience. Graduate students and advanced undergraduates in criminology, criminal justice, sociology, and public administration will find it an indispensable resource for research and coursework. Police practitioners, from line officers to command staff, can use the volume to inform evidence-based decision-making and to understand the broader scholarly context of their daily work. Policy analysts and community advocates will also benefit from its balanced treatment of contentious issues. While the book assumes some familiarity with criminological concepts, its clear organization and thorough chapter introductions make it accessible to serious readers regardless of their prior exposure to policing scholarship. As a reference work, it is designed for selective consultation as much as for sustained reading, with each chapter standing as a self-contained and authoritative treatment of its subject.
The handbook's reputation rests on its consistent quality and its editors' success in recruiting contributors who are not merely summarizing the field but actively shaping it. Since its initial hardcover publication, the volume has been widely cited in academic literature and adopted in graduate courses across the United States and internationally. A paperback edition released in 2019 made the work more accessible to students, confirming its status as a durable reference. For anyone seeking a comprehensive, scholarly, and up-to-date understanding of policing as a social institution, The Oxford Handbook of Police and Policing remains an essential addition to any library of criminology and criminal justice.
Key Features
- Includes 28 original chapters written by leading scholars in policing research.
- Organized into six thematic sections covering contexts, strategies, authority, race, methods, and future directions.
- Features dedicated chapters on critical topics including police legitimacy, racial profiling, and police misconduct.
- Examines policing systems in both the United States and Europe, offering comparative perspectives.
- Provides in-depth analysis of problem-oriented policing and its crime prevention applications.
- Explores the politics of policing and how political forces shape law enforcement priorities.
- Includes cutting-edge research on TASER use and technology in policing.
- Offers comprehensive coverage of research methodologies for studying police behavior.
- Addresses community policing, order maintenance, and zero tolerance approaches in detail.
- Features a forward-looking section on the future of policing and emerging challenges.
- Authored by contributors from major research universities across multiple countries.
- Serves as a definitive scholarly reference for police studies and criminology courses.
- Available in both hardcover and paperback editions through Oxford University Press.
About the Author
Michael D. Reisig is Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University, where he has taught since 2008. He earned his Ph.D. in Political Science from Washington State University in 1996, following a master's degree in Criminal Justice from the same institution and a bachelor's degree in Sociology and Psychology from Pittsburg State University. Before joining Arizona State University, Reisig held faculty positions at Michigan State University from 1996 to 2004 and at Florida State University from 2004 to 2008. His research interests encompass the nature and influence of social control, the neighborhood context of crime and justice, the generality of crime causation theories, and the measurement of criminological concepts. Reisig is a Fellow of the American Society of Criminology, an honor he received in 2022, and he has published extensively in leading journals including Criminology, Journal of Criminal Justice, and Criminology & Public Policy. He has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Outstanding Alumni Award from Washington State University's Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology and the Alumni Achievement Award from the Washington State University Alumni Association.[citation:5][citation:10]
Robert J. Kane is Professor and Department Head of Criminology and Justice Studies at Drexel University, where he has served since 2012. He earned his Ph.D. from Temple University in 2001. Kane's primary research interests include police authority and accountability, the ecology of urban policing, and the intersections among neighborhood violence, justice, and urban health. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, working with his academic mentor James J. Fyfe, Kane conducted what remains the largest study of police misconduct ever undertaken in an American police agency, examining career-ending misconduct in the New York City Police Department. This research culminated in the 2013 book Jammed Up: Bad Cops, Police Misconduct, and the New York City Police Department, co-authored with Michael D. White. Kane has also conducted field research in Philadelphia, Phoenix, Washington D.C., and internationally in the Netherlands, England, and Ireland. He has received major research grants, including a National Institute of Justice award to study the effects of Tasers on cognitive functioning.[citation:6][citation:11][citation:15]
Related Books
- Jammed Up: Bad Cops, Police Misconduct, and the New York City Police Department — Robert J. Kane and Michael D. White
- Problem-Oriented Policing — Herman Goldstein
- Police and Community in Chicago: A Tale of Three Cities — Wesley G. Skogan
- The Politics of Force: Bargaining During Superpower Crisis — John L. Worrall
- Police Legitimacy — Justice Tankebe and Anthony Bottoms
- Community Policing: A Contemporary Perspective — Victor E. Kappeler and Larry K. Gaines
- Ethnography and the Study of Policing — Peter K. Manning
- Race, Place, and Policing the Inner-City — Rod K. Brunson and Jacinta M. Gau
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FAQ
Q : What is The Oxford Handbook of Police and Policing about?
R : This handbook is a comprehensive academic reference work that examines policing as a social institution from multiple scholarly perspectives. It covers the historical development of police forces, organizational dynamics, operational strategies like community and problem-oriented policing, sources of police authority and legitimacy, and critical issues including racial profiling and misconduct. The volume brings together 28 original chapters written by leading criminologists and criminal justice scholars, making it one of the most authoritative single-volume resources on policing available in English.
Q : Who edited The Oxford Handbook of Police and Policing?
R : The handbook was edited by Michael D. Reisig, Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University, and Robert J. Kane, Professor and Department Head of Criminology and Justice Studies at Drexel University. Both editors are distinguished scholars with extensive publication records in policing research. Reisig is a Fellow of the American Society of Criminology, and Kane conducted the largest study of police misconduct ever undertaken in an American police agency while working with the New York City Police Department.
Q : When was The Oxford Handbook of Police and Policing published?
R : The handbook was first published in hardcover by Oxford University Press in 2014 as part of the Oxford Handbooks in Criminology and Criminal Justice series. A paperback edition was released in 2019 to make the volume more accessible to students and a wider readership. The online version was published on Oxford Academic on April 1, 2014, with an online ISBN of 9780199984343. The print hardcover ISBN is 9780199843886, and the paperback ISBN is 9780190947316.
Q : What topics does the handbook cover?
R : The handbook is organized into six major sections: Policing Contexts, Policing Strategies, Police Authority, Race/Ethnicity and Policing, Varieties of Police Research, and Policing into the Future. Specific chapter topics include the recent history of police, urban drug markets, the politics of policing, problem-oriented policing, community policing, zero tolerance, police legitimacy, police coercion, TASER technology, police misconduct, racial profiling, illegal immigration and local policing, police administrative records as data, community surveys, systematic social observation, experimental designs, ethnographies, private policing, and local police responses to terrorism.
Q : Who should read this handbook?
R : The handbook is aimed at graduate students, advanced undergraduates, and faculty in criminology, criminal justice, sociology, and public administration. It is also valuable for police practitioners, including command staff and policy analysts, who want to ground their work in evidence-based research. Community advocates and journalists covering policing issues will find the volume useful for understanding the scholarly consensus on contentious topics. While some familiarity with criminological concepts is helpful, the clear organization and chapter introductions make the material accessible to serious readers from various backgrounds.
Q : Is The Oxford Handbook of Police and Policing suitable for students?
R : Yes, the handbook is widely used in graduate and advanced undergraduate courses on policing, criminal justice, and criminology. Its systematic organization and the self-contained nature of each chapter make it suitable for course readings, research projects, and exam preparation. The 2019 paperback edition was specifically released to improve accessibility for students. However, because it is a scholarly reference work rather than an introductory textbook, it is best suited for students who already have some foundational knowledge in criminal justice or criminology.
Q : What makes this handbook different from other books on policing?
R : Several features distinguish this volume from other works on policing. First, it brings together original contributions from dozens of leading scholars rather than relying on a single author's perspective. Second, it takes an explicitly comparative approach, examining policing in both the United States and Europe. Third, it includes substantial coverage of research methodologies, helping readers understand how policing knowledge is generated. Fourth, it balances theoretical discussions with practical concerns, making it relevant to both academics and practitioners. Finally, its publication by Oxford University Press and inclusion in the Oxford Handbooks series ensures rigorous peer review and editorial standards.
Q : Where can I find The Oxford Handbook of Police and Policing?
R : The handbook is available through Oxford University Press, major academic book retailers, and university libraries worldwide. The hardcover edition (ISBN 9780199843886) was published in 2014, and the paperback edition (ISBN 9780190947316) was released in 2019. An electronic version is available through Oxford Academic with online ISBN 9780199984343. Many university libraries provide access to the online version through institutional subscriptions, and the print editions can be purchased from booksellers or borrowed through interlibrary loan services.
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