Policing the 2012 London Olympics: Legacy and Social Exclusion

In this review of Policing the 2012 London Olympics: Legacy and Social Exclusion the reviewer finds a focused ethnography for readers interested in how major events reshape everyday law enforcement. The book is recommended for researchers, students and policy makers who want a close, empirically grounded account of policing practice in the London Borough of Newham during the 2012 Games. Its single biggest reason to buy is the detailed description of how officers defined, monitored and investigated Olympic-related crime and how those activities connected to routine policing in a deprived urban borough.

Key Features

• Ethnographic focus: Detailed fieldwork in Newham shows how officers made operational decisions on the ground, giving readers concrete examples of policing practice during a mega-event.
• Connection to everyday policing: The book explains how Olympic-specific priorities were integrated with the routine policing of a diverse urban community, helping to illuminate long-term legacies.
• Threat of terrorism examined: It assesses how counterterrorism concerns shaped tactics and priorities, clarifying the security context that framed Olympic policing.
• Examination of social exclusion: The narrative links policing strategies to issues of social exclusion and community impact, useful for those studying inequality and urban governance.
• Investigative procedures: The authors describe how police monitored, prioritized and investigated incidents, providing procedural detail valuable for comparative studies.

Who It's For

This book is aimed at scholars in sociology, criminology and urban studies, graduate students designing case studies of mega-events, and policymakers seeking evidence about policing legacies. The strong ethnographic approach will appeal to readers who prefer rich qualitative detail over statistical summaries.

Those looking for a general history of the London 2012 Games, a celebratory narrative of the Olympics, or a handbook of police tactics should look elsewhere; the book is specific to policing practice and the social consequences in Newham rather than a comprehensive Games history.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Provides a strong, empirically grounded ethnography that illuminates day-to-day police decision making during the 2012 Olympics.
• Useful linkage between event security and long-term policing priorities in an urban borough, aiding policy discussion about legacy.
• Addresses counterterrorism as part of routine policing, offering valuable insight for security studies and urban sociology.
• Highlights social exclusion and community impact rather than treating policing as isolated operations.

Cons

• Specialized focus on Newham limits generalisability to other host cities or contexts without further comparative work.
• Readers seeking quantitative impact measures or a broad Olympic history will find the narrow ethnographic lens limiting.

Specifications

Title	Policing the 2012 London Olympics: Legacy and Social Exclusion
Series	Routledge Advances in Ethnography
Author	Gary Armstrong
Focus area	Policing in the London Borough of Newham
Primary topics	Olympic policing, social exclusion, counterterrorism
Method	Ethnography and fieldwork

Our Verdict

This is a focused, high-value ethnographic study for academics and practitioners who need a close look at how policing adapted to the 2012 Olympics and how those changes affected a host community. Its value lies in detailed field accounts and the clear linkage between event policing and social exclusion, making it worth buying for research and policy reference.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this book cover the whole of London policing during 2012?
Answer. No, it concentrates on policing in the London Borough of Newham and how Olympic-related policing connected to local practice.

Is this a quantitative evaluation of Olympic impacts?
Answer. No, the work is ethnographic and qualitative, focused on field observation and interpretation rather than statistical measurement.

Will the book be useful to policy makers?
Answer. Yes, it offers empirical detail about operational decisions and social consequences that can inform policy on mega-event policing and legacy planning.