Making further inquiries: policing in context in Brixton and Khayelitsha

Dixon, Bill

Abstract

Only rarely do inquiries into policing investigate the social context within which it takes place. This article looks at two inquiries which chose to take on this task: Lord Scarman’s into the Brixton Disorders in London in April 1981; and Justice Catherine O’Regan and Advocate Vusumzi Pikoli’s into the current state of policing in Khayelitsha in the Western Cape. It argues that they should be applauded for doing so but draws attention to how difficult it can be to persuade governments to address the deep-rooted social and economic problems associated with crises in policing rather than focus on reforming the police institution, its policies, procedures and practices.

Citation

Dixon, B. (2015). Making further inquiries: policing in context in Brixton and Khayelitsha. South African Crime Quarterly, 53, https://doi.org/10.4314/sacq.v53i1.1

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Sep 1, 2015
• Deposit Date: Feb 12, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 12, 2016
• Journal: South African Crime Quarterly
• Electronic ISSN: 1991-3877
• Publisher: Academy of Science of South Africa
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 53
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4314/sacq.v53i1.1
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/982249
• Publisher URL: http://www.ajol.info/index.php/sacq/article/view/123291