Vulnerability and diversity in policing

We suggest that some communities are left out of this social development of the criminal justice system – that is, not invited to participate and/or not capable of participating. Most of those left out of shaping the system are, paradoxically, the targets of greater and greater surveillance by the police, by way of specific legislation, guidelines and operational protocols. These social groups are commonly referred to as being “at risk” groups, or “vulnerable people”. But what do these terms mean? Who is “vulnerable”? How is vulnerability assessed, and why? How does this influence policing practices? Can we measure vulnerability? Do some vulnerabilities supersede others? This collection begins to answer some of these important questions in relation to the policing of vulnerable communities, or “vulnerable people”, as we choose to use in this book.