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.