Diversification of British policing: The citizen experience

This paper considers how increasing privatisation of policing in the UK impacts on citizens in a residential community. It reports on an evaluation of the activities of a private security company and the perceptions of the local community of the impact and effectiveness of the scheme. It considers how the presence of the private guards influences community safety and individuals' reported fear of crime. It also explores the extent to which the private company's style of policing is to target particular individuals, thereby jeopardising individual rights and civil liberties. Finally, the paper discusses the extent to which the presence of the guards reinforces social exclusion at the community level.