Neighbourhood Watch in a Digital Age

Explores the digital surveillance revolution and how social media and smartphones have changed the landscape of public safety
Draws on original data to examine how neighbourhood watch groups have developed in the Netherlands and how their actions contribute to lower crime levels
Questions whether community crime prevention should be seen as a welcome civic instrument or a phenomenon adding to an undesirable culture of control

Explores the digital surveillance revolution and how social media and smartphones have changed the landscape of public safety Draws on original data to examine how neighbourhood watch groups have developed in the Netherlands and how their actions contribute to lower crime levels Questions whether community crime prevention should be seen as a welcome civic instrument or a phenomenon adding to an undesirable culture of control

Auteur
Vasco Lub is an independent Dutch scholar (affiliated with Erasmus University Rotterdam) who works at the intersection of sociology and policy research. He publishes both nationally and internationally on urban issues, social policy, neighbourhood safety, civic participation and social research methodology.

Contenu
PART I. Neighbourhood Watch in the Netherlands: Introduction and Figures.- 1. The rise of Community Crime Prevention.- 1.1. The Securitization of Society.- 1.2. Themes of the Present Study.- 1.3. Research Methodstart-up Problems and Lessons Learned.- 5.3. Conclusions.- 6. Watch Group 3.- 6.1. Police Support Collapses.- 6.2. Big City Problems.- 6.3. Conclusions.- 7. Watch Group 4.- 7.1. Creating Critical Mass.- 7.2. Tensions in the Team.-7.3. Conclusions.- PART III. Conclusions and Discussion.- 8. Conclusions.- 8.1. General Findings about Neighbourhood Watch in the Netherlands.- 8.2. Influence and Impact of Watch Groups.- 8.3. The Interaction With Professional Forms of Surveillance and Law Enforcement.- 8.4. Moral Implications of Neighbourhood Watch in Light of Securitization and Digilantism.- 9. Discussion.- 9.1. Between Crime Control and Culture of Control.- 9.2. Points of Interest for Western Governments and Active Citizens.