Talking Culture: Public Discussion Group

Talking Culture is a series of friendly discussions, organised in collaboration with the University of Liverpool, where curious people can come together to think, talk, and explore today’s major issues. Previous discussion topics have included public and private space in Liverpool, the Grenfell Tower fire and social housing, and the rise of toxic masculinity. This month's focus is on policing.

With government spending on policing increasing and more powers being granted to the police, does this lead to ‘safer streets’? Policing in Britain has long been in a state of crisis, and evidence has been amassed over several decades that highlights the effects of policing on communities with some more adversely affected than others. 

This discussion will address critically the role of police in society and begin to think imaginatively about what a different sort of policing, or none at all, might look like. What kind of conditions create ‘crime’? Why do we need police? And are there alternative resources and structures that could help contribute to safety and security for everyone?

 The discussion is facilitated by an academic from the University’s Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology, and the event is open to all - no prior knowledge or reading necessary.