Subjects / The history of policing
Best books to learn The history of policing, in order
This is a history, not a reform argument. The point is to find out where modern police forces actually came from — which turns out to involve eighteenth-century London thief-takers, southern slave patrols, northern city machines that needed a payroll, and a professionalisation movement that succeeded at almost everything except its stated goal.
Reading paths for the history of policing
The history of policing: books to read, in order
Intermediate14books117 hrs5 stages
Popular the history of policing books
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Frequently asked questions
- How should I approach learning the history of policing?
- This is a history, not a reform argument. The point is to find out where modern police forces actually came from — which turns out to involve eighteenth-century London thief-takers, southern slave patrols, northern city machines that needed a payroll, and a professionalisation movement that succeeded at almost everything except its stated goal.
- What's a good book to start the history of policing with?
- A strong starting point is Black police in America by W. Marvin Dulaney. The ordered reading paths above show exactly where it fits and what to read next.