Revisiting the classics: three seminal founders of the study of policing: Michael Banton, Jerome Skolnick and Egon Bittner

As a field of social science research, policing has been fortunate to have a number of influential academic researchers and a rich history of significant writing. This is something to be celebrated. The Revisiting the Classics series aims to bring together leading commentators to review books that contribute to the core of police studies. There will always be debate about which books are seminal and which authors have had the greatest influence on the discipline. We hope this initiative will encourage readers to rediscover the value of work done by previous generations. In this first essay, Robert Reiner provides a stimulating start to the series by reviewing the pioneering works of Michael Banton, Egon Bittner and Jerome Skolnick.