Robert Reiner – The Politics of the Police (1985)

The Politics of the PoliceA state institution responsible for maintaining public order, enforcing laws, and preventing crime. (first published in 1985, fourth edition in 2010) is arguably the most influential work by British criminologist Robert Reiner. As the standard English-language reference on policing, the book offers a comprehensive analysis of the British police system—its historical development, political governance, and social function. Reiner’s work exemplifies a critical approach to police studies that goes beyond institutional structures to examine the broader social conditions and political implications of police practices.

In the thoroughly revised fourth edition, Reiner addresses new challenges such as counter-terrorism, neoliberal security policies, media rhetoric, and the transformation of policing in a consumerist society.

Historical Development and Transformation of Police Functions

Reiner traces the evolution of the police from an instrument of disciplinary social control in Victorian England to a modern institution of „policing by consent.“ He highlights how policing has always operated in the tension between state, society, and class. Particularly notable is his analysis of the post-war period, during which the British police were regarded as relatively apolitical—a condition Reiner views as historically contingent and increasingly fragile.

Key Points

Content and Key Arguments of the Fourth Edition (2010)

Robert Reiner’s fourth edition of The Politics of the Police is a comprehensive and systematically structured work that examines the role of the police in democratic societies. Far from offering a purely institutional account, the book integrates historical, political, legal, and sociological perspectives. The main contents can be summarized as follows:

1. Historical Development of the Police

Reiner provides a detailed account of the development of British policing from its 19th-century origins to the present. He illustrates how the image and function of the police have shifted in response to class structure, industrialization, and social conflict.

2. Police and PowerThe capacity to influence others and shape outcomes, even against resistance.

One central theme is the question of whose interests the police serve. Reiner critically examines the extent to which policing structurally contributes to maintaining social order in favor of dominant social groups. He draws on democratic pluralism, Marxist theory, and critical criminology to support his analysis.

3. Police Culture and Cop CultureThe shared norms, values, and informal practices that shape police identity and behavior.

The book engages deeply with the concept of Cop CultureThe shared symbols, beliefs, values, and practices of a group or society.—the informal occupational culture among police officers. Reiner discusses ethnographic studies that reveal how a collective police habitus emerges, characterized by masculinity norms, loyalty pressures, institutional mistrust, and the normalization of violence.

4. Media and Public Perception

Another chapter explores media representations of policing and crime. Reiner argues that popular depictions in film, television, and tabloid press often distort police work and amplify calls for “law and order.” He analyzes how media narratives shape public legitimacy and how the police strategically use media to craft their public image—a phenomenon he refers to as “media-savvy policing.”

5. Policing Strategies and Reforms

Reiner describes the transition from traditional beat policing to problem-oriented, preventive, and community-based approaches. Concepts such as community policing, intelligence-led policing, and broken windows are critically assessed.

6. Terrorism, Surveillance, and New Challenges

The fourth edition gives particular attention to security developments post-9/11The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, which profoundly transformed security policies worldwide.. Reiner explores counterterrorism, biometric surveillance, anti-terror laws, and the erosion of civil liberties. His analysis draws clear connections to Foucault’s concept of governmentality and contemporary debates about the securitization of politics.

7. Politics and the Police

In the concluding section, Reiner analyzes the political governance and accountability of police institutions. He evaluates models of democratic control, institutional independence, and the tensions between efficiency, legal certainty, and legitimacy in liberal democracies.

The updated edition also incorporates reflections on new political and social developments:

• Police and NeoliberalismA political and economic ideology that emphasizes free markets, deregulation, and limited government intervention in the economy.: Influenced by “New Labour” and conservative austerity policies, policing has shifted from a public service model to a market-oriented security apparatus. Performance metrics, benchmarking, and managerial techniques have transformed police identity and practice.
• Counterterrorism: Since 9/11, the police have been integrated into broader security discourses that go beyond traditional crime control. The “war on terror” serves as a legitimizing framework for extended powers, surveillance, and pre-emptive policing.
• Media and Policing: The portrayal of police in mass media significantly shapes public perception. Reiner investigates how police communication strategies and public relations campaigns use media events to bolster institutional legitimacy.
• Policing and Consumer SocietyA group of individuals connected by shared institutions, culture, and norms.: In a consumer-driven society, security becomes commodified. The police not only provide safety but also manufacture feelings of risk and reassurance. Reiner refers to this as the “commodification of policing.”

Critique and Relevance

Reiner takes a decidedly critical stance. He denounces the depoliticization of policing through technocratic discourse as well as the idealization of police work in political and media narratives. He advocates for democratic oversight and societal embedding of policing that is not legitimized merely by efficiency or coercive power.

Reiner’s work remains foundational for research on policing and security. It enables critical reflection on how police power is exercised, legitimized, and transformed—especially within neoliberal societies, amid rising insecurity, and growing authoritarian tendencies.

References

• Reiner, R. (2010). The Politics of the Police. Fourth Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Loader, I., & Mulcahy, A. (2003). Policing and the Condition of England. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Brodeur, J.-P. (2010). The Policing Web. Oxford: Oxford University Press.