Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses on how public institutions such as the police create new forms of technically-mediated access to public services and information about services, in an environment that can be critical in terms of life, property and public safety. The historical trajectory of ethnography runs from colonial descriptions of unfamiliar cultural practices to a reflexive exploration of a variety of contemporary cultural settings. The Department of Technology (DOT) is responsible for developing, implementing and supporting the technological requirements of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). Institutions that play a role in modern civil society include the police and local government. Contemporary society is becoming increasingly mediated and informational through the use of digital information and communication technologies (ICT). Institutions that play a role in modern civil society include the police and local government.