Militarized Policing and the Imperial Boomerang in the US and Britain

Today the police in the United States and Britain are heavily militarized forces wielding the same weaponry, operations, and tactics as armies. But this is not supposed to be. When the modern police were first created, they were meant to be non-militarized and peaceful “civil” police. 

So, what explains this transformation? How and why did the police in liberal democracies become militarized? 

As Julian Go showed in his AISSR lecture, the answer lies in imperialism past and present, and associated dynamics of racialization and colonial conquest. 

Aftertalk

After his lecture, Julian discussed his ideas with Rivke Jaffe, Professor of Urban Geography at the AISSR.

About Julian Go

Julian Go is Professor of Sociology at the University of Chicago. His research focuses on empires, colonialism, and global historical sociology.

His award-winning books include Policing Empires (2023), which examines how imperialism shaped police militarization in Britain and the U.S. He has also published widely on postcolonial theory and global sociology.