The protective society? Seeking safety in an insecure world

This article discusses the nature of the notion of ‘risk’ in late modern society and the community safety discourse that has resulted. The present agenda tends not to take account of the infinite variability of the notion of community and thus, the difficulty in replicating initiatives. The author argues that a ‘taxonomy of protection’ provides a more fruitful analytical tool. The approach to community safety in other European countries treats the notion as a public good and a similar approach in the United Kingdom, it is argued, may result in different ways of thinking.