Book excerpt: Policing is a dynamic profession with increasing demands and complexities placed upon the police officers and staff who provide a 24-hour service across a diverse range of communities. Written by experts in police higher education from across both academic and professional practice, this book equips aspiring or newly appointed police constables with the knowledge and understanding to deal with the significant and often complex challenges they face daily. Introduction to Professional Policing explores a selected number of the core underpinning knowledge requirements identified as themes within the evolving National Policing Curriculum (NPC) and Police Education Qualifications Framework (PEQF). These include: The evolution of criminal justice as a discipline Exploration of operational duties The ethics of professional policing Victims and protection of the vulnerable Crime prevention and approaches to counter-terrorism Digital policing and data protection Evidence based decision making Police leadership At the end of each chapter the student finds a case study, reflective questions and a further reading list, all of which reinforces students’ knowledge and furthers their professional development. Written in a clear and direct style, this book supports aspiring police constables, newly appointed police constables or direct entry (DE) detectives, as well as those interested in learning more about policing. It is essential reading for students taking a degree in Professional Policing.