The reform of the Greek police force that took place in 1984 is a development that has received almost no scholarly attention, but it took the form of a merger between two historically independent police forces that had previously dominated law-enforcement operations within Greece, the Gendarmerie and the Urban Police. Following the introduction, a detailed historical introduction attempts to trace the roots of the particular features and unique characteristics of the two pol ice forces up to their imminent reform in the 1980s and so explain the internal suspicions which existed within the police force in terms of its jurisdiction and role (both political and social) and the perceptions and expectations of the public. In chapter three, the thesis focuses on previously unpublished primary documents authored by a key advisor to the government prior to its implementation of the 1984 reforms. The Plakias report of 1982 thus provides key insights into the aims and ambitions of the subsequent 1984 law. Chapter four provides a review of the literature on policing to further emphasize the unique characteristics of the Greek police force in terms of issues of accountability, cultural and political pressures, the challenge of change in what is inherently a conservative domain, and the emotive connections between the public and the police force that needed to be negotiated in addition to simply superficial structural adjustments. Chapter five establishes the methodology which incorporates the previously established historical context in conjunction with interviews with officers who experienced the transitions first hand. This analysis helps bring to light the cultural and political bias which runs through any attempt to implement institutional change by showing the crossover between historical context and first-hand experience. The empirical fieldwork which is the focal point of chapter six takes the form of interviews with police officers past and present to assess the success or otherwise of the 1984 merger itself. Chapter seven build on this fieldwork to suggest ways forward for the continued modernization of the Greek police service. Chapter eight gathers supplementary evidence from newspaper articles in Greece which provides a clear context and explanation for many of the views expressed in the interviews. The study concludes with an analysis of arrangements currently in place to guarantee accountability and effectiveness in the Greek Police force. It offers a generally positive evaluation of the merger and its aftermath, both in terms of the reform of the Greek policing system, and in terms of its impact on Greek society as a whole.