Stadtrevier. Neue Perspektiven auf Polizei und Sicherheit in urbanen Räumen

Abstract

Long before the 20th century big cities were regarded as spaces of insecurity, in stark contrast with the European tradition of the city as a place of peace, whose “urban air” made people free and guaranteed, at least in general, an absence of violence. The prominent image of the “city as a Moloch” is, however, overdrawn. As early as the 18th century, police reforms began in numerous European cities, in conjunction with a discourse that viewed urban space through the prism of security policy. Since there can be no “objective” or timeless definition of security, this theme issue is based on the assumption that it results from political negotiation processes. In these processes, police forces play an important role as a security actor. The police professionalised their work and became the central expert in safeguarding and indeed defining what counted as security or insecurity urban spaces. In doing so, traditional or newly learned security heuristics served as a framework for interpretation and evaluation. To cope with perceived security problems, the police resorted to security repertoires. These action-related options included patrolling, the use of force, and the application of de-escalation strategies. The foray through more than three centuries demonstrates that both the definition of situations as security-relevant and the use of specific security repertoires are inextricably linked to the police’s authority and power.