Additional Security Patrols in Residential Areas: Notes from the Marketplace

Abstract

This article presents an overview of an emerging market in residential security patrols in England and Wales. Drawing on recent empirical research, it outlines the fragmented and uneven nature of current developments and highlights coordination deficits and the absence of regulatory oversight. The research illustrates how the growth in competitive relations between different providers of patrol can stymie the development of effective networked security alliances. It demonstrates the capacity of additional policing schemes to fuel unrealistic expectations among local publics and raise security thresholds. Furthermore, it highlights how policing as commodity through residential patrols can foster exclusionary tendencies by serving parochial rather than public interests. This raises important challenges that demand robust forms of governance and accountability to guarantee an equitable and fair distribution of policing and security.