The book opens with American military action in Mosul, Iraq, in 2003. The civil authority in a city of 1.7 million people had collapsed, government ministry buildings had been looted, and criminal gangs and ethnic conflict raged out of control. General David Petraeus, utilizing the military’s Counterinsurgency Doctrine (COIN), restored security, allowing the re-emergence of the local economy.

This book examines the commonalities of COIN strategy with the philosophy of Community-Oriented Policing. Effective policing efforts to reduce crime and disorder are highlighted, and the role of the COIN strategy in these efforts is reviewed.