Municipal Disorder Policing: Dealing with annoyances in public places

The policing landscape in the Netherlands has changed considerably over the past three decades; now various new uniformed officers share patrolling duties with the traditional police. This book is about one of the most prominent groups of these recent surveillance professionals: the municipal officers.

It discusses how this profession has changed over time, how municipal officers act in public places, and how these new officers view their work. Through a rich yet compact analysis, the author shows that the emergence of this new occupational group can be understood as being the result of a focused (political) approach to citizens' annoyances, concerns and fears. The book also demonstrates that the work of these officers is a unique Dutch phenomenon, partly defying theories of disorder policing developed in other countries.

This study will appeal to readers with an interest in plural policing or policies on urban disorder, as well as to those interested in how local governments respond to their citizens' concerns.

Teun Eikenaar (1981) studied cultural anthropology and philosophy. In recent years, his research has focused on issues of public safety and policing. The current publication builds on his earlier explorative study of municipal disorder policing, funded by the Dutch research programme Politie & Wetenschap (Police & Science).