Police History

Abstract

Modern‐day policing is firmly grounded in the historical context of social control within a civil society. It is important to explore the early roots of policing to broaden an understanding of the basic tenets associated with the turning over of certain liberties to government in order to enhance the safety and security of local communities. The purpose of this entry is to provide a historical account of the evolution of policing from the Medieval and Middle Ages up to the twenty‐first century, situated within the modern‐day philosophy of community and problem‐oriented policing.