some interesting photos. Of the mafia?

see Guardian article here.

Open Circuit TV fuss

many years ago it became obvious we could not stop the spread of CCTV so opening the cameras up was a possible way forward that i could countenance but not in private hands. This company turns it into a game with prizes. Interestingly the plot in Ben Elton's Dead Famous (a pisstiche on Big Brother Reality TV show) has viewers watching the live feed spot the murder at the centre of things

Fascinating crime and media story

Taiwan fines newspaper for motion crime news

Crime science criticised by scientist.

I'm no big fan of crime science but do have science A levels so was hugely amused by Ben Goldacre's attack on the latest from the Jill Dando Institute for the HO.

Top Criminologist for 2008 announced

David Wilson of Birmingham City University came top in a survey of criminologists cited in newspapers in the UK in 2008.

Fergus McNeill came second and Marian Fitzgerald third. Full details here.

Media Wise

The Centre for Crime and Justice Studies do a piece of research. It is reported in the Times as supporting a crackdown on knife crime. They beg to differ.

Play Ethic bigs up my videogames work

On the Play Ethic blog I’ve been done the enormous honour of a full engagement with my work on (video)games and criminology. This is by way of a response.

I came to criminology late having first gone to teacher training college then getting stuck in the Home Office for nearly 20 years as an administrator/policy person. I might cite the emphasis on play in child development that the Froebel College gave as an inspiration. I did some sociology there but couldn’t see my future teaching primary children – though I did help at my son’s primary school.

My parents were a fraction off conventional and whilst I loved learning, still do, hated school with its petty rules. The Head said I grew a beard I said it grew, secondary sexual characteristic, I just not good at or inclined to cut it. Still have beard or stumble as can’t often be bothered to shave and no good at it – curly follicles.

Through education, thank you OU, I now find myself teaching criminology and media at Uni. As part-timer in non-research intensive college I can research whatever access to computer permits or serendipity prompts. My son is interested in computer games, we discuss them and I’ve tried them but not over keen – my vice is writing.

I was aware from both criminology and media that games were that latest thing – from a translated Bible, US horror comics to women attending University – to have been blamed by sections of the media and the moralistas for the end of the known Universe being trundled of to Hell in a cliché. Much of this was poorly conducted politically motivated psycho bollocks but clearly some effects were evident – if only their attraction.

Sometimes the shocked commentator would allude to the amount of sex or crime (and indeed sex crime) in the games as if that enough to condemn them. Some criminologists had started to look at internet crime and even in communities in cyberspace, but none at the actual criminal content or even the rule-based nature of these games and third spaces. My paper attempts to kick start the process but does so ludicly. The lack of ‘academic’ rigour meant a rewrite before it could be published but two versions are online to compare at my site (closer to the first draft called JPlod after our constables and Douglas Coupland’s novel) and on BSC website.

The paper and response also talk about joyriding – the subject of my PhD – and I’m going to return to it for a conference presentation this year. It seems that the practice still continues, the media still use the term but seems less exercised by it now but little has been written theoretically about it. There is, though, a developing sociology of mobility which takes in auto(mobility) so I shall enjoy playing with that.

Obviously as a car driver of nearly 40 years I am ambivalent about cars but the green and safety arguments usually keep my joydriving (as the ads promise) in check.

I also see some playfulness in the battles against CCTV, the avoidance or accommodation strategies of those under its gaze and even in the joystick heaven that is a full 40 screen digital colour tilt, pan and zoom system. We’ll leave side that the money might be spent better.

Public Criminology in Ireland

On Tuesday 17 Feb I gave a seminar at the Institute of Criminology at University College Dublin on Public Criminology. The Power Point presentation can be found on my website here. In the Q&A and in discussion with the Faculty afterwards I felt some specific points about public criminology in Ireland might be made.

My presentation mentions Burawoy's idea of an interdependent set of sociologies: professional, policy, critical and public. But basically I transmute 'public' into 'engage with the media' and 'bring your work to the attention of the greatest numbers; even if that means ignoring the 'professional' route. But that does presume a healthy professional, critical and policy 'ology to be in place. That may not be the case in Ireland so whilst i still argue for the importance of criminology being done in and for the public the institutions of criminlogy in the case of Ireland those aspects need developing. Indeed given the small academic base and close knit nature of the elites - even contending ones - many of the criminologists i met had higher public profiles than most Brits or Americans but longed to do more sustained professional, policy or critical work.

I had a good time and wish them well in it.

Still can't get enough of the Krays?

Guardian article on forthcoming auction of Kraymebilia. I know I'm supposed to love them and I won't rant about them either but can't we move on?

Sad to see death of John Mortimer

I became aware of him first defending in the Oz obscenity trial. I read the Mag; and had even thought of applying to be an editor of that now notorious edition. I next came across him as President of the Howard League for Penal Reform whose conferences i attended. He seemed at home in Oxford College's and we forgave him his 'Penal League for Howard Reform' jokes (twice). Only later did i discover that with so few male staff at the League i was a reserve to do up his flies after the dinner.

The Telegraph has a decent obit here.