The author outlines the historical development of the police force, analyzes their established role, the ways in which it has changed and the prospects for the future. He argues that the capacity of the police to reduce crime-rates is inevitably marginal, pointing to the fact that the public not only discover and report the majority of offences, but also provide the solutions. The police have an undefined and complex relationship with the law, the State and the community. The obscurity of their tasks and range of powers not only makes their job a very difficult one but also renders the whole police institution vulnerable to authoritarianism. The author suggests that we should concern ourselves with the formal constitutional status of the force, protecting its independence and extending its accountability.