these are just two of the issues addressed by Les Johnston, who argues that policing, far from being the exclusive preserve of public personnel, is an activity undertaken by a mixture of public, private, and quasi-public agents. His book reviews the history of private policing, examines developments of current concern, and finally considers the implications of these developments both for the sociology of policing and for a more general understanding of public-private relations in the late 20th century.

Preface Section 1: Historical and Political Background 1. Private Policing: Before and After the 'New Police' 2. Ideologies of Public and Private Provision Section 2: Private Policing: Current Developments and their Policy Implications 3. Privatization and Public Policing 4. The Private Security Sector I: Structure and Control 5. The Private Security Sector II: Activities 6. Hybrid Policing 7. Citizenship and Self-Policing: Responsible Citizenship 8. Citizenship and Self-Policing II: Autonomous Citizenship Section 3: Theoretical Conclusions 9. New Directions in the Sociology of Policing 10. Privatization and Social Control