NCJ Number
144229
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 33 Issue: 3 Dated: (Summer 1993) Pages: 353-373
Date Published
1993
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This article challenges Tony Jefferson's thesis based on the "view from below" and "social justice" that paramilitary policing methods amplify disorder and violence.
Abstract
The central issue in the critique of Jefferson involves the definition of paramilitary. Paramilitary has several connotations: police wearing protective clothing and carrying shields, specialized public order units, police deployment in squad formations, and willingness to use force. A related issue is whether police officers, if trained to use force, will use force more than other means to control violence. If force is used in riot control, Jefferson acknowledges that command and control must be maintained by police officer superiors. He suggests that disorder results from a four-stage sequence involving preparation for the worst case scenario, crowd and space control, crowd resistance, and aggressive clearance or dispersal. The critique of Jefferson's book suggests that Jefferson does not actually believe certain policing methods heighten disorder; rather, Jefferson simply dislikes certain policing methods. The critique also contends that even though the use of force is never palatable, the reality is that police officers have a monopoly over force. When social, political, and economic conflict increases, police presence naturally becomes more conspicuous. If properly used, paramilitary policing methods can be used more effectively than traditional alternatives in some cases. An appendix contains additional information on participant observation of public order policing in London. 24 references and 15 footnotes