Intelligent Control: Developments in Public Order Policing in Canada

How have public police in Canada attempted to negotiate public order relationships between labor, capital, civil society, and governing authorities within the context of neo-liberalism? That is the central question addressed in this book by De Lint and Hall (professors of sociology and anthropology at the U. of Windsor, Canada), who begin by describing the emergence of a "liaison" approach that serves to pre-empt or minimize the need for force, police monitoring, or covert intelligence gathering. This approach relies on labor or protest self-regulation as the expected norm, supported by relations of trust that the police maintain through communication and education, establishing perceived neutrality in strike and protest situations, and by restraining institutional and corporate impulses to use force to resolve picket line or protest disputes. Side by side with the liaison approach, however, they also see enhanced technical, organizational, and professional paramilitary and intelligence capabilities that can use overwhelming and/or precise force against a wide range of demonstrations or groups, especially those unwilling to play along with the liasion approach. Both approaches, they argue, are often aimed at avoiding overt confrontation and concealing coercion. Annotation c2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)