An Inside Job

Malcolm Young joined the Newcastle police force in 1955 as a sixteen year-old cadet. In the ensuing 33 years he rose to become a superintendent and a doctor of anthropology. Drawing on his experience as a constable, a member of the Drugs Squad, and a Superintendent in the Research division of Mercia Police, as well as his skills as a social anthropologist, this book provides a fascinating, and at times disturbing, insight into the workings of today's British "bobby". Dr Young reveals that detectives invariably prefer the tactics, dress, language, and humour of "The Sweeney" to that of "Dixon of Dock Green", and examines the frequently sexist, racist, and violent roles they assume to play out their macho dramas. 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, Dr 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.
The book is aimed at general readers of popular anthropology, professional anthropologists and scholars of police studies as well as policemen.