Summary
American policing is mired in a stratified model of inefficiency involving nearly 12,500 standalone municipal police agencies. The future of policing requires increased participation in cybercrime, transnational crime, terrorism, and infrastructure protection that cannot be accommodated by small standalone police agencies. Canada shares similar experiences in the origins, maturation, social conditions, and opportunities in policing with success in amalgamating police service. This thesis uses comparative case-study research of successful and failed attempts at amalgamating police services in Canada and America. Analysis and recommendations show that amalgamation can best be achieved through large agency contracting, sheriff services, and state policing. Amalgamation to state policing is recommended based on Canadian case studies and American case studies.