ABSTRACT The three eras in American policing – political, reform, and community – has become the default theoretical framework within the study of criminal justice, explicitly and implicitly shaping the discourse of police studies. Despite historically informed criticisms of this three-era model, no alternative theory has been proffered as a way of critically thinking about the police. This paper draws on Norbert Elias’ civilising thesis and the role of the state as an alternative theoretical framework to explain the evolution of American policing. We argue that changes in policing are more cogently explained by assuming a long-term view of change and that the intrusion and the retreat of the state from society better captures the evolution of the police through time.

中文翻译：

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警察文明：重新构想国家在美国警务理论中的作用

摘要美国警务的三个时代-政治，改革和社区-已成为刑事司法研究中的默认理论框架，明确和隐含地塑造了警察研究的内容。尽管历史上对此三时代模型提出了批评，但没有提出任何其他理论来批判性地思考警察。本文借鉴了诺伯特·埃里亚斯（Norbert Elias）的文明论断以及国家作为替代性理论框架的角色，来解释美国警务的演变。我们认为，通过对变化进行长期观察，可以更有力地解释维持治安的变化，并且认为国家对社会的入侵和撤退可以更好地反映出警察随时间的演变。