This book was inspired by the Everyday Offending in Plymouth project (www. everydayoffending.org) which revealed Plymouth’s ‘Youngest Ever Chief Constable’: the charismatic Joseph Davison Sowerby 1892–1916, portrayed on the front cover photograph of Plymouth City Police Force in 1907 (second row, eighth from left). Sowerby’s innovative strategies to tackle drunkenness and antisocial behaviour were an early form of zero tolerance policing which earned him the enduring respect of the town and his men. He provides a fascinating exemplar of some of the remarkable individuals who have held the office of Chief Constable but whose experiences have, from a historical perspective, often been undervalued. The office of Chief Constable is a unique, challenging and often invidious role requiring significant leadership skills, effective managerial strategies, diplomatic dexterity and political integrity. However, the role of Chief Constables in the past has not generally been afforded the same attention as the rank and file. Leading the Police aims to redress that balance presenting a series of chapters analysing the challenges and tensions associated with police leadership and exploring the wider contextual and historical developments.