Citizens, community, and crime control: The problems and prospects for negotiated order

Abstract

How do communities control crime, and what does this tell us about the problem of negotiating order at the local level? This article will draw on empirical research in two US cities to illustrate how social controls at the local level are negotiated between citizens and law enforcement, and how different structures of this arrangement arise because of contrasting contexts and different institutional imperatives. The article will showcase the evolving role of the citizen as a partner in negotiated order and will speculate as to the future role of community members in the co-production of safety.