Martin examines the environment of policing, a profoundly urban enterprise that has been greatly influenced by the pace and nature of urbanization. While police continue to serve the criminal justice system well, he finds that they have become less effective in carrying out the larger function of maintaining order, which must be tailored to changing urban circumstances. Policing still functions as a craft, with its hallmark in-at-the-bottom entry requirements and emphasis on skills attained through experience. In Urban Policing in Canada Martin makes a convincing case for transforming policing into a knowledge-based profession.

Police services around the world are embarking on a major period of change that has seen few parallels since the founding of modern policing in the 19th century. A conflation of factors some long-standing, others of more recent origin, but all significant – are now coalescing, with implications for the traditional ways in which police services have been providing safety and security for the public. Today, there are many actors who help ensure a safe and secure environment, including technical specialists, public and private security providers, and first responders. As such, police have begun to work within a safety and security web that requires new and dynamic partnerships, flexibility, and adaptability. In addition, police are addressing increasingly complex and global crimes such as terrorism, identity theft, and cybercrime. These challenges, along with increasing costs, have led many around the world and in Canada to re-examine the traditional policing model and consider what modern approaches are required to ensure effective and efficient policing for the future.