A Critical Theory of Police Power

The main thesis is that police exist and have always existed primarily to maintain and enforce the dominant social order, not, as they are often perceived, to enforce laws. Neocleous sets about debunking a number of myths aimed at obscuring the political nature of police power.

There are some interesting points about vagrancy laws and the way they enable the discretionary power vital to police function—their origin lies not in a reaction to crime or social disorder, but in an enforcement of the performance of labour vital to the constitution of capitalist order. “Vagrancy is regarded by the ruling class as a crime against capitalist order in general, a kind of ur crime from which all other crime stems.”

While there's undoubtedly some good stuff in here, I didn't find it compellingly written and threw in the towel after about 100 pages.