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Everyday deficiencies of police surveillance : a quotidian approach to surveillance studies

Sausdal, David LU (2020) In Policing and Society 30(4). p.462-478
Abstract

It has become theoretical orthodoxy to point to and problematise a rise in surveillance. This article contributes to this debate. Following a still marginal yet budding number of studies that focus on the practical, quotidian level of surveillance systems, the article ethnographically examines the daily surveillance work of a number of Danish detectives. What is demonstrated is that whilst the Danish detectives openly acknowledged the need for further surveillance, they simultaneously often refrained from actually carrying out the surveillance practices needed. The article describes why that is. In doing so, it serves as a reminder of how the everyday reality of surveillance work may not necessarily be as effective as much scholarship... (More)

It has become theoretical orthodoxy to point to and problematise a rise in surveillance. This article contributes to this debate. Following a still marginal yet budding number of studies that focus on the practical, quotidian level of surveillance systems, the article ethnographically examines the daily surveillance work of a number of Danish detectives. What is demonstrated is that whilst the Danish detectives openly acknowledged the need for further surveillance, they simultaneously often refrained from actually carrying out the surveillance practices needed. The article describes why that is. In doing so, it serves as a reminder of how the everyday reality of surveillance work may not necessarily be as effective as much scholarship on the matter may lead us to believe. Furthermore, it shows how these given Danish surveillance actors not only did not follow surveillance policies, they sometimes even actively opposed them. Contrary to the widespread idea that surveillance actors such as the police automatically appreciate new Orwellian opportunities, the Danish detectives commonly saw them as a hindrance to what they truly appreciated about their work. To them, an increase in police surveillance often meant a decrease in job satisfaction.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
cross-border crime, everyday life & ethnography, globalisation, Policing, surveillance, technology
in
Policing and Society
volume
30
issue
4
pages
17 pages
publisher
Routledge
external identifiers
  • scopus:85058627436
ISSN
1043-9463
DOI
10.1080/10439463.2018.1557659
language
English
LU publication?
no
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2018, © 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Copyright: Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
id
cbce0198-397b-46fe-b3f8-b68a4c6214d4
date added to LUP
2021-06-09 12:50:20
date last changed
2022-04-27 02:20:02
@article{cbce0198-397b-46fe-b3f8-b68a4c6214d4,
  abstract     = {{<p>It has become theoretical orthodoxy to point to and problematise a rise in surveillance. This article contributes to this debate. Following a still marginal yet budding number of studies that focus on the practical, quotidian level of surveillance systems, the article ethnographically examines the daily surveillance work of a number of Danish detectives. What is demonstrated is that whilst the Danish detectives openly acknowledged the need for further surveillance, they simultaneously often refrained from actually carrying out the surveillance practices needed. The article describes why that is. In doing so, it serves as a reminder of how the everyday reality of surveillance work may not necessarily be as effective as much scholarship on the matter may lead us to believe. Furthermore, it shows how these given Danish surveillance actors not only did not follow surveillance policies, they sometimes even actively opposed them. Contrary to the widespread idea that surveillance actors such as the police automatically appreciate new Orwellian opportunities, the Danish detectives commonly saw them as a hindrance to what they truly appreciated about their work. To them, an increase in police surveillance often meant a decrease in job satisfaction.</p>}},
  author       = {{Sausdal, David}},
  issn         = {{1043-9463}},
  keywords     = {{cross-border crime; everyday life & ethnography; globalisation; Policing; surveillance; technology}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{04}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{462--478}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  series       = {{Policing and Society}},
  title        = {{Everyday deficiencies of police surveillance : a quotidian approach to surveillance studies}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10439463.2018.1557659}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/10439463.2018.1557659}},
  volume       = {{30}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}