Critical Intervention: Virtual Theme Issue of Society and Space on Disorder and Policing

Beat cops guard the charred remains of bus in Tottenham, North London, August 4th

In reaction to the string of disturbances across the UK Stuart Elden and others at Society and Space (Environment and Planning D) have grouped together an interesting range of previously published papers as a virtual theme issue on disorder and policing. You can access them free for two months here.

Here is an excerpt from their introduction:

"Recent events in London and elsewhere have brought a renewed focus on urban disorder, revolt and policing. To date, commentary from across the political spectrum has tended to be polarising, offering straight-forward condemnations or seeking to explain things in ways that have been all-too-easy to paint as exculpations. The condemnations have become increasingly unpleasant, mobilizing a whole range of animal, medical or racial language to describe the individuals and groups involved. Suggested responses have often shown a disturbing faith in the efficacy of state violence. Society, we are told, is broken. From the other side, there have been attempts to suggest recent government policies have directly caused or contributed to the events. Complex social phenomena are rarely mono-causal, and the events have proved almost impossible to anticipate, which itself should caution against any attempt at easy explanations. Profound social inequalities, insensitive, violent and racist policing, disconnection and despair have undoubtedly contributed to the situation, but the way that communities have been set against each other demonstrates other forces are at play. Yet at the same time, a call for the restoration of law and order, or a stress on the inviolability of property rights is, itself, a political position, and the attempt to rule explanation out of court a defence of the status quo."