Law enforcement in knowledge-based risk society

Abstract

In the second half of the 20th century both knowledge and security gained a significant value. Science and the political institutions react, but no longer initiate social change. The author argues that when approaching law enforcement from a scientific point of view, the needs of a knowledge based, and a risk society are in no contradiction. Besides pointing to the importance of institutionalized research on law enforcement, the author also mentions to the difficulties of this discipline, which has moved into the centre of academic interest in the recent years in Hungary.