Volunteer Police, Choosing to Serve : Exploring, Comparing, and Assessing Volunteer Policing in the United States and the United Kingdom

Budget cuts for police agencies across the globe have resulted in the need to find innovative ways to restructure and reallocate police agencies and personnel. This book gives an overview of the US and UK policing systems and the impact of volunteerism. It delves into the history, contemporary role, and functions of volunteer police and addresses issues such as training, personality profiles, the global state, and the future implications of the increase in volunteer police. It is geared toward upper-level undergraduate criminal justice and criminology students and professionals in police agencies.

Volunteer Police, Choosing to Serve provides an in-depth comparison between volunteer policing in the United States and in the United Kingdom, and explores the shared past and similar—yet sometimes divergent—evolution of special constables, auxiliaries, and reserves. It discusses the history of volunteer policing, contemporary authority, functions, and training. The book also examines part-time, auxiliary, and special constable policing roles around the globe. The text contains original research comparing British and American volunteer police, and concludes with a discussion of the future of volunteer policing in the UK and US contexts.