Policing across cities in Africa, Asia and Latin America

Peter Albrecht’s and Helene Maria Kyed’s book, Policing and the Politics of Order-Making has now been published in paperback, and can be purchased for £35.

The book, first published in 2015, explores the political nature of making order through policing activities in densely populated spaces across Africa, Asia and Latin America. The chapters are based on in-depth ethnographic research, and draw on different academic traditions, including political science, sociology, criminology and anthropology. They analyze the politics of order-making based on studies of civilian policing groups, youth movements, politicians and other actors engaged in policing and politics in Indonesia, Swaziland, Ghana, South Africa, Mexico, Bolivia, Haiti and Sierra Leone.

This has been said about the book

‘Policing and the Politics of Order-Making is… a much-needed contribution to our understanding of order-making in contemporary cities around the world.’
Daniel M. Goldstein, Rutgers University

‘This volume… further complicates our understanding of global policing in a neoliberal age and is highly recommended’.
David Pratten, Oxford University

‘This is a timely and very welcome contribution to the ongoing exploration of the politics and practices of plural policing in the urban margins.’
Finn Stepputat, Danish Institute for International Studies

‘[The introduction of Policing and the Politics of Order-Making] is innovative and is the first framework able to engage with the politics of any type of policing actor.’
Fabio Scarpello, Murdoch University

"It might be imagined that… challenges to the state's claim on the monopoly of security provision, order-making and the legitimate use of violence leads to constant conflict between the local groups and the authorities. However, the cases presented in Policing and the Politics of Order-Making demonstrate that the norm is a degree of liaison, if not co-operation, with the state police. Certainly, the very popularity and success of these groups evoke from the formal providers both resentment of their rivals and jealousy of the symbolic capital (prestige and attention) that they possess."
Bruce Baker, Coventry University