Description

As heard on BBC Radio 4’s Book of the Week.

A vividly told yet reflective account of a year as a volunteer police officer, examining the nature of policing, its impact on those who are policed and on our communal life.

‘Told with the verve and immediacy of a novel’ – Iain Sinclair

A former carer, primary school teacher and education researcher, Matt Lloyd-Rose became a volunteer police officer to try to understand the challenges facing young people in Brixton, the place he lived and taught.

He got more than he bargained for. Each Friday evening, he put on the uniform and policed South London: racing through it on blue lights, patrolling its streets, entering a parallel version of a place he thought he knew.

Into the Night takes you on a journey to the heart of our society’s most complex and controversial institution, showing the best and worst of ordinary policing: from macho thrill-seeking and shocking misogyny to quiet moments of kindness and care. Its pages are filled with the homeless, the lonely, the sick and the angry, with teenage gang members, confused drunks, violent partners, runaway dogs and an illegal hot-dog vendor who won’t take no for an answer.

Into the Night is an eye-opening portrait of South London, the epicentre of Britain’s struggle against racist policing, surfacing hidden histories of resistance and abuse.

‘Acutely observed and tenderly written’ – Polly Morland, bestselling author of A Fortunate Women

‘An important and timely book written with empathy and real life experience’ – Shami Chakrabarti

‘A textured, compassionate book about cities, loss wounded souls.’ – Sukhdev Sandhu

Publisher Review

Inside the Met, it’s as bad as you think . . . fascinating . . . it’s the casual, ubiquitous misogyny that was witnessed by Lloyd-Rose that really chills the blood . . . elegantly written — Richard Morrison * The Times * What’s it really like to patrol the streets of south London as a special constable? Matt Lloyd-Rose’s deadpan account is a revelation — Simon O’Hagan * Radio Times * A compelling snapshot of modern policing — Andrew Anthony * The Observer * Urgent . . . Lloyd-Rose’s writing is vivid and forensic * The Financial Times * Extraordinary . . . The account of what he experienced is lyrical, funny and often poignant * The Daily Telegraph * A work of breathtaking social imagination, radiating kindness and wisdom. — Jay Griffiths, author of Wild and Kith A fascinating, and occasionally disturbing, look at a pivotal time in British policing. I used to live down the road from Brixton, where this book is set and it gave me new insight into the area and how we are policed. — Sally Hayden, author of My Fourth Time, We Drowned An important and timely book written with empathy and real life experience about policing and the policed . . . Misogyny, racism and bandaids on gaping social wounds – all are catalogued with real care and complexity. If some of it is hard to read, imagine what it was to live. — Shami Chakrabarti Acutely observed and tenderly written, this evocation of the kaleidoscopic human landscape of the city offers a vivid meditation on the nature of community and place of care in our society. — Polly Morland, author of A Fortunate Woman A valuable, direct and honest account of a personal journey to the end of the Brixton night, as witness and participant, in the impossible complexity of urban policing. Told with the verve and immediacy of a novel. And enlivened by regular morning meditations in a street cafe. — Iain Sinclair A textured, compassionate book about cities, loss, wounded souls. What kinds of care has our society outsourced to the police? What could they learn from the work of nurses or teachers? Matt Lloyd-Rose asks so many crucial, haunting questions . . . — Sukhdev Sandhu [A] humane and astute account of everyday policing in south London. — Ian Loader * The TLS *