Traversing scales from the global to the local and spanning over two centuries, from the establishment of Britain's first police forces in the late eighteenth century to the policing of the Covid-19 pandemic, Policing Neoliberalism emphasizes authoritarian continuities, challenging dominant narratives that emphasize rupture and change. Focusing on neoliberalism, often described as an era in decline, it demonstrates how British neoliberalization has been shaped by, and in turn reshaped, colonial and imperial legacies. It argues that authoritarian dynamics intensified following the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, particularly under the austerity programme.
Drawing on a decade of research and a multi-method approach, the book adopts a 'glocal' perspective that connects large-scale structural change to lived experience. It engages with historical developments in policing, postwar transformations of the welfare state, key political discourses, and contemporary practices such as school and mental health policing. Grounded in qualitative fieldwork in South London, including interviews with former police officers and community activists, it traces how austerity and neoliberal reforms have reshaped marginalized communities. Through detailed local case studies, including the demolition of social housing estates and the experiences of young people in heavily policed environments, it illuminates the everyday realities of governance, criminalization, and resistance.
