The long publishing history of the Law Enforcement Handbook began with a conversation over coffee in the office of Superintendent Des Rowland, commanding officer of the Peel Regional Police Special Services Division. He and his friend, Jim Bailey, a former crime reporter for Mississauga newspaper, and then working as a public relations officer with the Ontario Government.They were discussing police training methods and Des mentioned that most courses for officers were supported by handouts prepared by individual instructors. Although there were criminology texts available for study in academic settings, there was no practical manual available for officers to refer to in the course of their normal duties. The two decided that the law enforcement community needed a hands-on text, written in plain language that gave officers the essential information they needed to do their jobs on a daily basis. They wanted this handbook to be sturdy and compact, so that it could easily carried in officer"s jacket pocket while he or she was on duty and decided to write it in bullet-point format for easy readability and quick reference.