An Inside Job: Policing and Police Culture in Britain

Drawing on the one hand on his experience as a constable, a member of the Drugs Squad, and a Superintendent in the "Research" division of the Mercia Police, and on the other on his skills as a social anthropologist, Young provides a fascinating, and at times disturbing insight into the workings of today's British bobby. Laying bare the private and well-concealed practices of some aspects of policing, including the creation of "crime figures" and the manipulation of "detection rates," Young concludes by exploring the extent to which the police stage-manage the arbitrary and changing face of crime. This controversial insider story is essential reading for anyone concerned with the powers and practices of the modern police force.