RT Article
T1 Police station meaning, closure and (in)visibility
JF Policing and society
VO 34
IS 5
SP 403
OP 416
A1 Millie, Andrew
A2 Ralph, Liam
A2 Rowe, Michael
A2 Jones, Matthew
LA English
YR 2024
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1891167065
AB This article considers the visual symbolism of policing as reflected by the presence or absence of police stations. The focus is England where recent years have witnessed a prolonged period of police station closure. The article draws on interviews with police estate managers and considers their reasons given for closure and consequent impact on visibility. The discussion is influenced by visual criminology and semiotics, as well as the concept of the abstract police developed by Jan Terpstra and colleagues, that police officers are now more abstract from the communities they serve, and from each other. Station closure was explained as being due to austerity, but also the unsuitability of ‘legacy’ buildings, changes in demand, and changes in police models. In these contexts, some closures may seem appropriate with public engagement maintained online. Moreover, poor community relations mean some may prefer not to have a local station. Yet, we argue that the visual presence or absence of a local police station can be read semiotically as a symbol of the police’s investment, or conversely lack of interest, in the community. The significance of these debates is discussed.
K1 Visual Criminology
K1 Semiotics
K1 Architecture
K1 Police stations
DO 10.1080/10439463.2023.2293004