When, why and how do police forces change? This course takes up these questions through case studies of exemplary events of police reform, such as: Robert Peel’s formation of the London Metropolitan Police in 1829; William Parker’s reform of the Los Angeles Police Department in the 1950s; William Bratton’s reform of the New York Police Department in the 1990s; post-apartheid policing in South Africa; and post-Maoist policing in the People’s Republic of China. Through comparative study and in-depth analysis, students will draw lessons about the general dynamics underlying police reform.