ABSTRACT
An approach, an anthropology of policing (AOP), is a much-needed, theoretically focused means to understand some aspects of policing in modernity. Policing studies is a sycophantic exercise in aid of sustaining conventional beliefs and practices. New social spaces, devoid of place and time, are created in cyberspace. The organization exists in the distant world of social relations and becomes real when it re-penetrates the interpersonal space of citizens—through raids, round-ups, traffic stops, arrests and media amplification of police practices. Representing the boundaries of "police" should be a necessary concern throughout the research process. The primary source that defines the nature of and rationale for modern policing is Egon Bittner. He brings a definition of and focus on practices to the table in a refreshing manner. The practices of the police, including when and how they act, must be the central concern.
