Viewing policing from an international perspective, this volume covers the history of law enforcement from early accounts of policing under Caesar Augustus to such present-day events as Rodney King and the LAPD. American policing dominates the book, but it also covers such items as the 1829 London Metropolitan police model and Continental innovations stemming from Napoleonic France. While including such well-known Americans as Police Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt, the book also covers important policewomen, forgotten but exceptional African American policemen, and Indian Police forces that ranged the Oklahoma Territory. The book will be a useful resource for all those interested in the history of law enforcement.

Unlike existing reference works that try to cover both lawmen and criminals, this book focuses on the police diaspora. In addition to traditional police officers, it also includes nontraditional examples of law enforcement, such as private detectives, vigilante groups, and organizations such as Wells Fargo and the Pinkertons. The book provides an instructive blend of history, criminology, and police science.