Routledge Library Editions: Police and Policing – serie

This 25-volume set has titles originally published between 1951 and 1995. It explores several different aspects of the police and their approaches to policing over the years. Many of the titles are from the 1980s, where the police were beginning to come under increasing scrutiny and their relationship with the public was under pressure. Topics include: accountability, community policing, police work, policy, training, along with international comparisons. Ongoing debates of police accountability and police race relations today mean this collection is a timely resource for those interested in criminology, particularly the recent history of the police and their role in society.

Originally published in 1994, this work examines the different models of police accountability that were implemented in the 1980s. Based on research carried out in Manchester, the work discusses local government efforts to construct a new social contract between the police and the community. The research is considered within the wider theoretical debates about the nature of participatory democracy. The conclusion argues that there is an urgent need to confront the complexities of constructing satisfactory police-community relations in Britain's inner cities. It evaluates whether the reorganization of policing at the time would lead to a more accountable police service. It was one of the first books in this country to argue for an abolitionist position that is now central to BLM debates. Today it can be read against the backdrop of ongoing debates of police accountability and police race relations.

Originally published in 1994, this work examines the different models of police accountability that were implemented in the 1980s. Based on research carried out in Manchester, the work discusses local government efforts to construct a new social contract between the police and the community. The research is considered within the wider theoretical debates about the nature of participatory democracy. The conclusion argues that there is an urgent need to confront the complexities of constructing satisfactory police-community relations in Britain's inner cities. It evaluates whether the reorganization of policing at the time would lead to a more accountable police service. It was one of the first books in this country to argue for an abolitionist position that is now central to BLM debates. Today it can be read against the backdrop of ongoing debates of police accountability and police race relations.

Originally published in 1980, Community Policing is a view of the relationship between the police and the community, written by Evelyn B. Schaffer, an outsider who had worked very closely with the police. It covers many Forces and projects, particularly in Scotland who pioneered community policing. It explores the various means that police forces were using to get closer to the community at the time, including work with schools and specialist work with juveniles and their families. It also includes a chapter on police training and its effect on community policing.

Originally published in 1980, Community Policing is a view of the relationship between the police and the community, written by Evelyn B. Schaffer, an outsider who had worked very closely with the police. It covers many Forces and projects, particularly in Scotland who pioneered community policing. It explores the various means that police forces were using to get closer to the community at the time, including work with schools and specialist work with juveniles and their families. It also includes a chapter on police training and its effect on community policing.

In the late 1980s, the role of the police and their accountability to the community had been at the centre of much debate. Originally published in 1989, this important collection of original essays from the leading independent academic researchers on the police in Britain addresses the major issues in this debate. How far police behaviour is shaped by law; what the public expect of the police; how the police handle race relations; and how the police effectiveness can best be measured, are discussed in the light of the latest research. The central focus of the volume is the notion of ‘policing by consent’ and the way this is interpreted in practice.The essays range from basic analyses of what the police do to major evaluations of recent policy initiatives, such as neighbourhood watch. The contributors discuss a range of issues, from new programmes for police training to the role of chief constables. Written in a form accessible to students of policing and police officers, Coming to Terms with Policing sheds light on trends at the time and suggests new directions for policing policy.

In the late 1980s, the role of the police and their accountability to the community had been at the centre of much debate. Originally published in 1989, this important collection of original essays from the leading independent academic researchers on the police in Britain addresses the major issues in this debate. How far police behaviour is shaped by law; what the public expect of the police; how the police handle race relations; and how the police effectiveness can best be measured, are discussed in the light of the latest research. The central focus of the volume is the notion of ‘policing by consent’ and the way this is interpreted in practice.The essays range from basic analyses of what the police do to major evaluations of recent policy initiatives, such as neighbourhood watch. The contributors discuss a range of issues, from new programmes for police training to the role of chief constables. Written in a form accessible to students of policing and police officers, Coming to Terms with Policing sheds light on trends at the time and suggests new directions for policing policy.

Originally published in1988, Introducing Policework offered a new and concise overview of the controversial subject of policework at the time. The authors provide critical evaluations of the contributions made by psychologists, social psychologists, historians, sociologists, and political scientists, and an assessment of how these fit within an overall understanding of policework.Among the issues considered are: the process of socialization that lead to a ‘cop culture’; the historical evolution of police working practices and their current impact upon the social divisions of age, gender, race and class; problems with the present system of accountability; the prospects for success of recent (post-Scarman) initiatives, such as community consultation.The achievement of this book is that it provides lively and consistent discussion of key issues in the consideration of policework: race and crime, the question of gender, victimization and the ‘new realism’, police monitoring, Neighbourhood Watch, and police training initiatives. Today it will provide an interesting look back at a critical evaluation of policework in the 1980s.

Originally published in1988, Introducing Policework offered a new and concise overview of the controversial subject of policework at the time. The authors provide critical evaluations of the contributions made by psychologists, social psychologists, historians, sociologists, and political scientists, and an assessment of how these fit within an overall understanding of policework.Among the issues considered are: the process of socialization that lead to a ‘cop culture’; the historical evolution of police working practices and their current impact upon the social divisions of age, gender, race and class; problems with the present system of accountability; the prospects for success of recent (post-Scarman) initiatives, such as community consultation.The achievement of this book is that it provides lively and consistent discussion of key issues in the consideration of policework: race and crime, the question of gender, victimization and the ‘new realism’, police monitoring, Neighbourhood Watch, and police training initiatives. Today it will provide an interesting look back at a critical evaluation of policework in the 1980s.

Originally published in 1951, The British Police describes the different types of police force, the powers and functions of local police authorities, the ways in which control from the centre is exercised, and the effect of the Local Government Boundary Commission’s proposals on police areas at the time. Special emphasis is placed on what happens in practice and not only in theory, and on developments during and after the second world war.Chapters are included on (amongst other things) the special position of the Metropolitan Police Force, emphasizing the independence of the ‘Yard’ from the Home Secretary’s control; on recruitment, training, promotion, and the police college; pay and conditions of service, and policewomen.At the time of first publication the work was intended to be of use to university students in the Social Sciences who had previously had no up-to-date book to reply on; it would also have interested the general reader by attempting to answer such questions as to whether the local basis of the British police service was – as was so often claimed – the key to the good relations of the police with the public and one of the great safeguards of personal liberty in Britain. Today it can be read and enjoyed in its historical context.

Originally published in 1988, Policing by the Public opened up an entirely new field within criminology and the sociology of deviance. The authors focus on the nature of informal social control in both villages and urban centres to show the kinds of policing people do for themselves, within their communities, in an endeavour to curb crime and deviance.Taking as the basis for their study both a rural and an urban community, Joanna Shapland and Jon Vagg are able to counter many of the existing myths about these areas. Beginning with a description of the kinds of problems people experience in their own neighbourhoods, they explore who watches what, who intervenes, and the stereotypes of ‘troublesome’ people and situations that emerge. This study sheds important light on the nature of concern and fear about crime and disorder, the use people want to make of the police and, significantly, the kind of policing they get.Policing by the Public made a major contribution to contemporary international debate about informal mechanisms of social control at the time. It offered a new approach to thinking about policing that will still be of interest not only to criminologists, sociologists, police and policymakers, but also to anyone who is curious about how his or her area actually worked.

Originally published in 1988, Policing by the Public opened up an entirely new field within criminology and the sociology of deviance. The authors focus on the nature of informal social control in both villages and urban centres to show the kinds of policing people do for themselves, within their communities, in an endeavour to curb crime and deviance.Taking as the basis for their study both a rural and an urban community, Joanna Shapland and Jon Vagg are able to counter many of the existing myths about these areas. Beginning with a description of the kinds of problems people experience in their own neighbourhoods, they explore who watches what, who intervenes, and the stereotypes of ‘troublesome’ people and situations that emerge. This study sheds important light on the nature of concern and fear about crime and disorder, the use people want to make of the police and, significantly, the kind of policing they get.Policing by the Public made a major contribution to contemporary international debate about informal mechanisms of social control at the time. It offered a new approach to thinking about policing that will still be of interest not only to criminologists, sociologists, police and policymakers, but also to anyone who is curious about how his or her area actually worked.

In the 1980s there existed wide and often acrimonious disagreement over the purposes and objectives of police organizations, the ways in which their activities were structured, and their relations with the wider society. Interpreting policework requires a rounded conception of policing, based on both a thorough critique of the main theoretical trends in police sociology, and close familiarity with actual patterns of policing, on the streets, in the stations, and inside the police headquarters where key policies are formulated.Originally published in 1987, the achievement of this book is that it combines rigorous theoretical analysis with a wealth of descriptive material drawn from first-hand observation of policing and decision making at all levels, and thus relates sociological theory to practice and political debate at the time. The introduction provides a careful analysis of central theoretical and political strands in police sociology, and proposes a new general conception of policework. The authors go on to provide vivid illustrations of this conception from the worlds of uniformed unit beat patrols and resident beat officers, and from the fora in which policy for operational practice is considered. A final section draws the wider lessons of these concrete analyses for sociological theory and for our understanding of past policy shifts from one form of beatwork to another, and spells out the radical implications of the study for the political debate on the future of policing.Interpreting Policework thus had relevance to students and researchers in police studies, sociology, public policy and the law at the time and will still be of historical interest today. The authors are experienced researchers, practised in investigating a wide range of criminological and social control issues.

In the 1980s there existed wide and often acrimonious disagreement over the purposes and objectives of police organizations, the ways in which their activities were structured, and their relations with the wider society. Interpreting policework requires a rounded conception of policing, based on both a thorough critique of the main theoretical trends in police sociology, and close familiarity with actual patterns of policing, on the streets, in the stations, and inside the police headquarters where key policies are formulated.Originally published in 1987, the achievement of this book is that it combines rigorous theoretical analysis with a wealth of descriptive material drawn from first-hand observation of policing and decision making at all levels, and thus relates sociological theory to practice and political debate at the time. The introduction provides a careful analysis of central theoretical and political strands in police sociology, and proposes a new general conception of policework. The authors go on to provide vivid illustrations of this conception from the worlds of uniformed unit beat patrols and resident beat officers, and from the fora in which policy for operational practice is considered. A final section draws the wider lessons of these concrete analyses for sociological theory and for our understanding of past policy shifts from one form of beatwork to another, and spells out the radical implications of the study for the political debate on the future of policing.Interpreting Policework thus had relevance to students and researchers in police studies, sociology, public policy and the law at the time and will still be of historical interest today. The authors are experienced researchers, practised in investigating a wide range of criminological and social control issues.

Originally published in 1951, The British Police describes the different types of police force, the powers and functions of local police authorities, the ways in which control from the centre is exercised, and the effect of the Local Government Boundary Commission’s proposals on police areas at the time. Special emphasis is placed on what happens in practice and not only in theory, and on developments during and after the second world war.Chapters are included on (amongst other things) the special position of the Metropolitan Police Force, emphasizing the independence of the ‘Yard’ from the Home Secretary’s control; on recruitment, training, promotion, and the police college; pay and conditions of service, and policewomen.At the time of first publication the work was intended to be of use to university students in the Social Sciences who had previously had no up-to-date book to reply on; it would also have interested the general reader by attempting to answer such questions as to whether the local basis of the British police service was – as was so often claimed – the key to the good relations of the police with the public and one of the great safeguards of personal liberty in Britain. Today it can be read and enjoyed in its historical context.

The traditional view of the role of the police had come under increasing attacks in the early 1980s. The riots of 1981 and the Scarman Inquiry stimulated a widespread public debate about policing, police powers and accountability. It had become clear that the police did not simply enforce the law. They also made policy about what law to enforce, when to enforce it and against whom to enforce it. It was the control of this discretionary power which was at the heart of the debate at the time.Originally published in 1986, this book considers these critical issues in contemporary policing. It concentrates on those aspects of policing that were usually covered in law and law related courses. It deals with the constitutional framework within which the police operates. It examines the police complaints procedure and the full range of police powers against the background of the political debate at the time. Throughout the book the 1984 Police and Criminal Evidence Act is discussed in detail and its impact upon police and public alike is analysed.

The traditional view of the role of the police had come under increasing attacks in the early 1980s. The riots of 1981 and the Scarman Inquiry stimulated a widespread public debate about policing, police powers and accountability. It had become clear that the police did not simply enforce the law. They also made policy about what law to enforce, when to enforce it and against whom to enforce it. It was the control of this discretionary power which was at the heart of the debate at the time.Originally published in 1986, this book considers these critical issues in contemporary policing. It concentrates on those aspects of policing that were usually covered in law and law related courses. It deals with the constitutional framework within which the police operates. It examines the police complaints procedure and the full range of police powers against the background of the political debate at the time. Throughout the book the 1984 Police and Criminal Evidence Act is discussed in detail and its impact upon police and public alike is analysed.

Originally published in 1990, Comparative Policing Issues was the first introductory text to consider key issues in the policing of modern societies from an international, comparative perspective.The author begins with a discussion of policing itself and considers how the modern police force has emerged. Separate sections then focus on France and the Netherlands as examples of Western European societies: Canada and Hong Kong as influenced by the colonial tradition; Japan as an Eastern capitalist society; and the USSR, China and Cuba as contrasting examples of communist police systems. These and other countries are then considered in terms of the relationship between the police and the communities they ‘serve’.Critical issues addressed include the following: Are communist and capitalist systems of policing significantly different? What lessons are to be learnt from Japan, with its low crime rate? How accountable are the police in different societies, and to whom? To what extent is the ‘character’ of the police in any society determined by the wider culture, and social and political structure of that society? How practicable is it to transfer ideas about policing from one society to another?The lowering of barriers within the European community and the return of Hong Kong to China are just two examples of the need for a comparative analysis of policing. Students of criminology and police studies, and police and others working in the criminal justice system will find this book an invaluable resource.

Originally published in 1990, Comparative Policing Issues was the first introductory text to consider key issues in the policing of modern societies from an international, comparative perspective.The author begins with a discussion of policing itself and considers how the modern police force has emerged. Separate sections then focus on France and the Netherlands as examples of Western European societies: Canada and Hong Kong as influenced by the colonial tradition; Japan as an Eastern capitalist society; and the USSR, China and Cuba as contrasting examples of communist police systems. These and other countries are then considered in terms of the relationship between the police and the communities they ‘serve’.Critical issues addressed include the following: Are communist and capitalist systems of policing significantly different? What lessons are to be learnt from Japan, with its low crime rate? How accountable are the police in different societies, and to whom? To what extent is the ‘character’ of the police in any society determined by the wider culture, and social and political structure of that society? How practicable is it to transfer ideas about policing from one society to another?The lowering of barriers within the European community and the return of Hong Kong to China are just two examples of the need for a comparative analysis of policing. Students of criminology and police studies, and police and others working in the criminal justice system will find this book an invaluable resource.

Despite the recent outcrop of controversy about the police and their accountability in the 1960s, there was no work dealing in detail with the problems discussed in this book. Originally published in 1965, it examines an unresolved issue, namely the position of the police in the constitutional framework and the extent to which police activities are subject to control by the electorate and their representatives in local authorities and in Parliament. The book attacks the well-known doctrine and the ‘independence’ of the police which had been widely accepted at the time.Topics dealt with include the legal status of constables and chief constables; pre- and post-war controversies about accountability for police operations; relations between local police authorities and the Home Secretary; the Royal Commission of 1962; the new Judges’ Rules for police questioning; and the Police Act, 1964.This work is an informed analysis of the problems being discussed at the time about police powers and activities. Relevant to courses in Government, Local Government and Constitutional Law, today it can be read and enjoyed in its historical context.

Despite the recent outcrop of controversy about the police and their accountability in the 1960s, there was no work dealing in detail with the problems discussed in this book. Originally published in 1965, it examines an unresolved issue, namely the position of the police in the constitutional framework and the extent to which police activities are subject to control by the electorate and their representatives in local authorities and in Parliament. The book attacks the well-known doctrine and the ‘independence’ of the police which had been widely accepted at the time.Topics dealt with include the legal status of constables and chief constables; pre- and post-war controversies about accountability for police operations; relations between local police authorities and the Home Secretary; the Royal Commission of 1962; the new Judges’ Rules for police questioning; and the Police Act, 1964.This work is an informed analysis of the problems being discussed at the time about police powers and activities. Relevant to courses in Government, Local Government and Constitutional Law, today it can be read and enjoyed in its historical context.

Should policemen be armed? Do they want to be? How fair is police interrogation? Are the police too tough on demonstrators? How often are the guilty acquitted? Do we get the police force we deserve? Originally published in 1977, Sir Robert Mark considers these and many other issues.His period as Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Force would mark something of an epoch, not only because of the challenge of brutal terrorism or his success as a leader, but because he was a bold innovator, thoughtful and articulate, whose work could be readily assessed because he believed in ‘telling the public all you can’ (the official memorandum on this appears here as an appendix). One change affecting the CID, described in this book, is characterised by Sir Robert himself as the most important single change since the Metropolitan Police was founded by his namesake Sir Robert Peel.The opening chapter describes the organisation and functioning of this country’s police at the time, the way in which they epitomise and are restricted by a free society and alone see the whole picture of criminal justice – in a sense here Sir Robert speaks over the heads of the legal profession to the public. The next important chapter contains the first open discussion of modern police-army cooperation in this country, but Sir Robert emphasises that a democratic society cannot be controlled by force and that the police exist for the maintenance of public order, irrespective of party, of sectional interests and of the government of the day. They are an example of the British genius for successful institutional compromise.Subsequent chapters examine these themes in more detail and from different angles; discuss manpower limitations and maldistribution; emphasise how the individual police officer, man or woman, is the anvil on which society beats out the problems of social inequality, racial prejudice and ghettoes, weak and ineffectual legislation. There are chapters on violence and on that London speciality, the demonstration. In the author’s view, the police officer, daily thrown back on his understanding of basic Christian precepts, has now left his Victorian ‘artisan status’ far behind – and the present Metropolitan Commissioner compels consideration of the police officer’s point of view.

Should policemen be armed? Do they want to be? How fair is police interrogation? Are the police too tough on demonstrators? How often are the guilty acquitted? Do we get the police force we deserve? Originally published in 1977, Sir Robert Mark considers these and many other issues.His period as Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Force would mark something of an epoch, not only because of the challenge of brutal terrorism or his success as a leader, but because he was a bold innovator, thoughtful and articulate, whose work could be readily assessed because he believed in ‘telling the public all you can’ (the official memorandum on this appears here as an appendix). One change affecting the CID, described in this book, is characterised by Sir Robert himself as the most important single change since the Metropolitan Police was founded by his namesake Sir Robert Peel.The opening chapter describes the organisation and functioning of this country’s police at the time, the way in which they epitomise and are restricted by a free society and alone see the whole picture of criminal justice – in a sense here Sir Robert speaks over the heads of the legal profession to the public. The next important chapter contains the first open discussion of modern police-army cooperation in this country, but Sir Robert emphasises that a democratic society cannot be controlled by force and that the police exist for the maintenance of public order, irrespective of party, of sectional interests and of the government of the day. They are an example of the British genius for successful institutional compromise.Subsequent chapters examine these themes in more detail and from different angles; discuss manpower limitations and maldistribution; emphasise how the individual police officer, man or woman, is the anvil on which society beats out the problems of social inequality, racial prejudice and ghettoes, weak and ineffectual legislation. There are chapters on violence and on that London speciality, the demonstration. In the author’s view, the police officer, daily thrown back on his understanding of basic Christian precepts, has now left his Victorian ‘artisan status’ far behind – and the present Metropolitan Commissioner compels consideration of the police officer’s point of view.

What role should the police have in an industrial dispute? How were they led into a partisan role in assisting the defeat of the 1984-5 miners' strike? Widespread concern over police road-blocks, allegations of police and picket violence, and the huge numbers of police used to maintain order and access to work led the National Council for Civil Liberties to set up an inquiry into the policing. The Inquiry Panel produced an interim report – but the NCCL disowned it, because of its acknowledgement of the rights of working miners as well as striking ones. The members of the Panel – who included former Chief Constable John Alderson and NCCL General Secretary Larry Gostin – then resigned, but continued work as a group of private individuals. Originally published in 1988, this book is their final report.The report describes the policing of the strike in detail from a range of published, unpublished, and eyewitness sources. The strike is set in the context of developments in law and policing before and since. The authors are able to provide a unique and authoritative perspective, analysing both the events of 1984-5 and the longer-term trends and problems, based on a clear recognition of the basic issues and conflicts of civil liberties involved. In their conclusions and recommendations the authors present an informed view of the use of the police during the strike, the breakdown of the system of police accountability, and the policies developed since the strike. Their findings point to the need for a Bill of Rights to cover civil liberties during industrial conflict, and the need for a new picketing Code of Practice.The Police, Public Order, and Civil Liberties will be essential reading for all concerned with the police, industrial relations, and the political and constitutional system. It will also be of value to all who need a clear and unbiased view of one of the key events in British post-war history.

What role should the police have in an industrial dispute? How were they led into a partisan role in assisting the defeat of the 1984-5 miners' strike? Widespread concern over police road-blocks, allegations of police and picket violence, and the huge numbers of police used to maintain order and access to work led the National Council for Civil Liberties to set up an inquiry into the policing. The Inquiry Panel produced an interim report – but the NCCL disowned it, because of its acknowledgement of the rights of working miners as well as striking ones. The members of the Panel – who included former Chief Constable John Alderson and NCCL General Secretary Larry Gostin – then resigned, but continued work as a group of private individuals. Originally published in 1988, this book is their final report.The report describes the policing of the strike in detail from a range of published, unpublished, and eyewitness sources. The strike is set in the context of developments in law and policing before and since. The authors are able to provide a unique and authoritative perspective, analysing both the events of 1984-5 and the longer-term trends and problems, based on a clear recognition of the basic issues and conflicts of civil liberties involved. In their conclusions and recommendations the authors present an informed view of the use of the police during the strike, the breakdown of the system of police accountability, and the policies developed since the strike. Their findings point to the need for a Bill of Rights to cover civil liberties during industrial conflict, and the need for a new picketing Code of Practice.The Police, Public Order, and Civil Liberties will be essential reading for all concerned with the police, industrial relations, and the political and constitutional system. It will also be of value to all who need a clear and unbiased view of one of the key events in British post-war history.

In The Framework of Criminal Justice, originally published in 1981, the criminal justice process is analysed by using six models, each of which expresses a different justification for criminal justice and punishment: the due process model – exacting justice between equal parties; the crime control model – punishing wrong and preventing further crime; the bureaucratic model – controlling crime and criminals; the medical model – rehabilitating offenders; the status passage model – publicly denouncing the crime and criminal; and the power model – maintaining domination by the ruling class and reinforcing class values. The study examines the formal rules and procedures of the magistrate court system within the context of these models and also discusses the roles of the actors (police, defendant, magistrate, court clerks, and lawyers). Next, the study depicts eight scenes that occur from the defendant's arrest through a court hearing to sentencing. It assesses how closely the activity and behaviour within the system follow the formal protections granted by the British system of justice, and it concludes that the process is far more complex and the rules far more open to interpretation than is commonly believed. The book suggests that this miscalculation has led to the failure of various reforms – special attention is given to the Bail Reform Act of 1976 and two sections of the Criminal Law Act of 1977. It further suggests that real reform must depend upon an understanding of the political nature of the criminal justice system.

In The Framework of Criminal Justice, originally published in 1981, the criminal justice process is analysed by using six models, each of which expresses a different justification for criminal justice and punishment: the due process model – exacting justice between equal parties; the crime control model – punishing wrong and preventing further crime; the bureaucratic model – controlling crime and criminals; the medical model – rehabilitating offenders; the status passage model – publicly denouncing the crime and criminal; and the power model – maintaining domination by the ruling class and reinforcing class values. The study examines the formal rules and procedures of the magistrate court system within the context of these models and also discusses the roles of the actors (police, defendant, magistrate, court clerks, and lawyers). Next, the study depicts eight scenes that occur from the defendant's arrest through a court hearing to sentencing. It assesses how closely the activity and behaviour within the system follow the formal protections granted by the British system of justice, and it concludes that the process is far more complex and the rules far more open to interpretation than is commonly believed. The book suggests that this miscalculation has led to the failure of various reforms – special attention is given to the Bail Reform Act of 1976 and two sections of the Criminal Law Act of 1977. It further suggests that real reform must depend upon an understanding of the political nature of the criminal justice system.

Originally published in 1993, this was the first systematic attempt to understand the criminalization of Black people without resorting to either crude state conspiracy theories or pathological portrayals of Black communities. Instead, the author places police/Black conflict in a geographical and historical context. A rigorous analysis of recent riots in London, informed by theoretical debates at the time, allowed Keith to demonstrate that both the riots and subsequent popular and official analysis had determined policies which had heightened the criminalization of the Black community. The ethnographic study of police/Black antagonism in three key areas of London highlights a police force struggling with an historical legacy that transcends the actions of particular officers. This book demonstrates that meaningful understanding of contemporary policing depends on situating ethnographic accounts firmly within the social and political context in which the police are forced to operate. It will be of great value to students of sociology, race relations, social geography, criminology and politics, as well as to professionals in the race relations field and the police service.This book is a re-issue originally published in 1993. The language used is a reflection of its era and no offence is meant by the Publishers to any reader by this re-publication.

Originally published in 1993, this was the first systematic attempt to understand the criminalization of Black people without resorting to either crude state conspiracy theories or pathological portrayals of Black communities. Instead, the author places police/Black conflict in a geographical and historical context. A rigorous analysis of recent riots in London, informed by theoretical debates at the time, allowed Keith to demonstrate that both the riots and subsequent popular and official analysis had determined policies which had heightened the criminalization of the Black community. The ethnographic study of police/Black antagonism in three key areas of London highlights a police force struggling with an historical legacy that transcends the actions of particular officers. This book demonstrates that meaningful understanding of contemporary policing depends on situating ethnographic accounts firmly within the social and political context in which the police are forced to operate. It will be of great value to students of sociology, race relations, social geography, criminology and politics, as well as to professionals in the race relations field and the police service.This book is a re-issue originally published in 1993. The language used is a reflection of its era and no offence is meant by the Publishers to any reader by this re-publication.