So begins Howard Rahtz's balanced and insightful overview of the use of force in American policing. This book strives to enrich public discussion by tracing current trends in the use of force, exploring the impact of this issue on race relations, and evaluating the numerous options proposed for minimizing the use of force in police work.

The author notes that police in the U.S. rarely use force against civilians, and that the use of deadly force has steadily declined in the past 25 years. Nevertheless, he cautions that force situations are often fraught with grave dangers for citizens, communities and police officerse themselves. Although there is no panacea, Rahtz outlines numerous areas where improvements can be achieved in reducing the use of force.