ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book addresses the question of violence in unique ways, bringing critical nuance and contextualization, even forcing a reconsideration of the police/violence relationship itself. It illustrates the various ways anthropology enables a reassessment of the police/violence relationship by putting a broad consideration of the human stakes at the center. The book describes what others have observed about the "secret" or "political" police, namely that their presence exacts a palpable yet complex impact on everyday life. It approaches the topic of policing and protest with a slightly different lens, although with similar insight. The book presents hope to enrich, reinvigorate, and reworks the study of police in anthropology, criminology, and across the broad interdisciplinary field invested in the study of policing, order-making, and governance.
