“An impressive critique of community policing . . . that raises serious questions about the effectiveness of the widely accepted practice.”

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"’ It is a mistake to believe that community can bear the political weight that projects like community policing place upon it’ . . . . It is this thesis that makes the book both theoretically interesting and useful, particularly for those intrested in issues of community governance and locally based crime control initiatives. Overall, this book represents a fresh and radical departure."

Laura Huey | Theoretical Criminology

"This is a fine book. It is accessible and very well written. . . . I appreciated the way Herbert again pried open the black box of the state, offering us a careful and not unsympathetic reading of police culture. Although written for a wider audience, geographers interested in law and policing, political theory, and the enduring romance of community will find it worthwhile."

Nicholas Blomley | Annals--Association for American Geographers

"This book is well written and well organized. . . . The book’s conclusion provides sobering evidence for the limitations of the community policing approach."

Michelle Livermore | Social Development Issues

"Herbert’s book is a political sociological analysis of the potential of deliberative democratic action at the local level. . . . [It] will remain the standard for studies of community policing for years to come."

Sudhir Venkatesh | American Journal of Sociology

"...illuminating and refreshing..."

Criminal Justice Review