Coppers not completely holding me up in controversy (7)
I believe the answer is:
polemic
'controversy' is the definition.
(polemic is a kind of controversy)
I can't explain the remainder of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for polemic that I've seen before include "Contentious" , "Hostile argument" , "Involving controversy -- compile (anag)" , "debate" , "Compile to make verbal attack on belief" .)