Talking Culture: Public Discussion Group at The Bluecoat

Talking Culture is a series of friendly discussions where curious people can come together to think, talk, and explore today’s major issues.

The final session will be hosted by Dr Paul Jones and Dr Scarlett Harris from the University of Liverpool, and will explore policing, public safety and security.

More policing, safer streets? Rethinking safety and security in society

Every year, the government increases spending on policing and grants more powers to police. They insist that more policing equals ‘safer streets’. But policing in Britain has long been in a state of crisis, and researchers have amassed evidence over several decades that highlights the harms of policing, with some communities more affected than others.

In this discussion, we will work through a set of questions to think critically about the role of police in society and we will begin to think imaginatively about what a society without police could and should look like: do the police really keep us safe? What kind of conditions create ‘crime’ and the need for police in the first place? Are there alternative resources and structures that could help contribute to safety and security for everyone?

This discussion is open to all - no prior knowledge or reading necessary.

Free, booking required