ABSTRACT
Democratic policing in theory acts as a balance between the rights and needs of the citizen as an individual and his responsibilities as a member of the community. But to perform his role the modern police officer needs to be not only a lawyer and a social worker, but also something of a scientist, marriage counsellor, mediator, criminologist, sex, race and community relations psychologist and youth worker, together with having some skill as an athlete, accountant and marksman, and in dealing with drug and mental problems. The key to successful democratic policing lies to a considerable extent in the problems of communication. Self-policing on a basis of social obligation and mutual responsibility is an ideal for the future, yet even that can have its risks, and professional police might be needed for example to protect unpopular minorities from vigilantes.
