This is the fifth and final volume in the Official History of Criminal Justice in England and Wales. It covers the uneven and often irresolute evolution of policing from the late 1940s to the end of the 1990s.

Tim Newburn is Professor of Criminology and Social Policy at the London School of Economics, UK, and a former President of the British Society of Criminology. He is author of over 40 books, including The Official History of Criminal Justice in England and Wales, Volume IV: The Politics of Law and Order (Routledge, 2022) with David Downes.

Introduction Part I: The Police in an Age of Optimism 1. Misconduct, Scandal and Growing Scrutiny 2. The Royal Commission 3. Towards the Police Act Part II: Controlling the Constable 4. Conduct and Complaints 5. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 6. Malpractice and another Royal Commission Part III: As Optimism Fades: Changes in organisation and practice 7. Early Organisational Change 8. The Rise and Fall of Unit Beat Policing 9. Community Policing 10. Crime Prevention Part IV: Changing Police Culture? 11. Race, Racism and Policing 12. Women and Policing Part V: Maintaining Order 13. The Tide Turns 14. Urban Unrest 15. Enter Lord Scarman 16. The Miners' Strike 17. Rioting Returns 18. Policing Under the Spotlight Part VI: Finance, Function and the Future of Policing 19. A Changing Political Context 20. Police Finance and Efficiency 21. The Rise of Managerialism and Consumerism 22. Reform Attempts Gather Pace 23. The Limits of Fundamental Reform Conclusion Bibliography