"Fascinating . . . Sheds light on a variety of current debates surrounding policing, surveillance, gun ownership, and more. Through fast-paced and story-like prose, Jeursen furthers the essential project of understanding policing as something that extends beyond the uniformed police." - William Garriott, Drake University "Jeursen has skillfully captured how everyday people's negotiations with and for security are a prevailing and socially differentiated aspect of life in the neoliberal city. The author provides a granular view of how policing goes beyond the institution and becomes a part of the way people understand their rights and roles as private residents. The Vigilant Citizen stands to make an important contribution to anthropological understandings of citizenship, policing, security, and the contemporary city." - Kristin V. Monroe, University of Kentucky "This book is tight, well written, and accessible to students, as well as a general audience. It can be applied to many disciplines related to urban studies, challenges students and nonacademic readers, offers literature and citations from international authors, and centers a critical perspective on race, crime, policing, and the larger role of the state in our communities." (Journal of Urban Affairs) "Drawing on eleven months of fieldwork in Miami and sharing the stories and experiences of police officers, private security guards, neighborhood watch groups, civil society organizations, and a broad range of residents and activists, Jeursen uses the lens of vigilant citizenshipthe idea that individuals share responsibility for community securityto extend the analysis of police brutality beyond police encounters." (Law and Social Inquiry)
