Drawing on both the academic field and homeland security practices, this book addresses the essential themes in the study of policing: its origin, theorization and structure. It focuses on the public police in Canada, making it a unique and original perspective. It adopts a critical approach to the fundamental aspects of policing, including patrol, investigation, intelligence, private policing, and transnational policing. It also highlights the issues of legitimacy and image management, as well as the contemporary challenges organizations and individuals face. Reflecting the authors’ background, this book brings a criminological perspective to the study of Canadian policing while remaining rooted in its day-to-day practice. As such, it will appeal to those interested in the workings of traditional policing and those wishing to explore the more complex aspects of policing in society.