The 21st century has brought new challenges for police, in Australia as in other western democracies. Terrorism, globalisation, large-scale population movements and entrenched social problems pose crime control threats that are increasingly seen as beyond the scope and capabilities of traditional policing. New agencies have been established, private policing has boomed, and governments have sought to make individuals, businesses and community organisations increasingly responsible for their own safety. To maintain, or regain, their leadership of this new agenda, police agencies need first to recognise and understand the changing environment and its challenges. Our paper uses the theory and policy framework of "third party policing" to examine the role of police in this age of insecurity, complexity and uncertainty.