Hall et al: Policing the crisis

• He argues the 70's saw a moral panic over black 'muggers' that served the interest of capitalism
• early 1970's: British capitalism faced a crisis - high inflation and rising unemployment was provoking widespread violence and unrest
• Moral panic - 1970's - mugging:

  • emergence of a media-driven moral panic about the supposed growth of a 'new' crime - mugging.
  • It was just a new name for street violence and was soon associated with black youths.
  • Black muggers came to symbolise the disintegration of social order
• Criticisms:

  • Downes and Rock: inconsistent in claiming that black street crime was not rising, but because of unemployment
  • left realists: inner-city residents fear is not panicky but realistic.