Research on policing in the Pacific Islands draws from multiple
disciplines, reflecting the multifaceted nature of policing in local contexts
that neither fit a Western model of statehood nor adopt an analytic
position from the global North. This chapter sets the scene for a
focused, contextualised and interdisciplinary discussion of policing in
Pacific Islands countries and territories. It recognises the need to analyse
policing both within the broader context of the global dynamics of
policing, crime and (in)security, and within the specific, complex, and
diverse countries and territories of the region. The chapter outlines the
structure of the book and provides an overview of the chapters that follow.