Does a more academic type of police education produce new police officers that are reluctant to patrol the streets? These are some of the questions addressed by this longitudinal project, following police students in seven European countries.

1. A longitudinal and comparative European study of Recruitment, Education and Careers in the Police (RECPOL): what this project contributes to the development of police science, Tore Bjørgo and Marie-Louise Damen, 2. Police education in seven European countries in the framework of their police Systems, Kjersti Hove and Lola Vallès. 3. Diversity and academisation: who does police education attract?, Rasmus Juul Møberg, 4. Iceland as a microcosm of the effects of educational reform on police students' social background, Guðmundur Oddsson, Andrew Paul Hill, Ólafur Örn Bragason, Þóroddur Bjarnason and Kjartan Ólafsson, 5. Mirroring society: how politically representative are police students in Europe?, Gunnar Thomassen, 6 . Understanding learning preferences and career expectations of Norwegian police students from a comparative perspective, Pål Winnæss, Marie-Louise Damen and Gunnar Thomassen, 7. Police students' values of enduring and emerging competence areas in police education, Staffan Karp, Kirsi Kohlström, Oscar Rantatalo and Mojgan Padyab, 8. Horizontal and Vertical career preferences for male and female police recruits, Rasmus Juul Møberg and Marie-Louise Damen, 9. Cynicism and (dis)trust in the police: Self-selection or evolving attitudes?, Gunnar Thomassen and Jon Strype, 10. Producing legalists or Dirty Harrys? Police education and field training, Silje Bringsrud Fekjær and Otto Petersson 11. Selecting and shaping police students in Europe: main findings and discussion, Marie-Louise Damen and Tore Bjørgo