Generating Safety from Below

Community Safety Groups and the Policing Nexus in Durban

Bibliographic Data

ID22336125
AuthorsMonique Marks (0000-0002-4926-6972, University of KwaZulu-Natal, corresponding author), Debby Bonnin (0000-0003-0104-3646, University of KwaZulu-Natal)
Year2010
Volume41
Issue1
Pages56-77
Publication date2010-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueSociety in Transition (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1028-9852 • E-ISSN: 2072-1978
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/21528581003676036
OpenAlexW2081913058
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited21

Drawing on research work conducted in the city of Durban, this article demonstrates that, to a large extent, policing functions are being carried out by agents other than the police. The article explores community safety groupings operating in three diverse areas in the greater Durban area. We demonstrate in this article that these groups have divergent mentalities and technologies, but that they share common goals and outcomes. We argue that community cohesion and social action have a positive impact on localised feelings of safety and pride of place. What we also show is that there appears to be a shared understanding on the part of the police and community groupings that the police should operate as ‘minimalist’ actors. We argue that instead of trying to be all things to all people – the hub of broad security governance – the state police should hone in on their core functions and intervene when communities request such intervention. This would allow the police to be more effective, community oriented and targeted in the work they do

Collective action · Community cohesion · Community policing · Corporate governance · Criminology · Group cohesiveness · Management · Political science · Pride · Public relations · Sociology · Crime Patterns and Interventions · Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis · Engineering · Law · Policing Practices and Perceptions · Psychology