Into the Night: A Year with the Police

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 the listener 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. Through a blend of immersive action and lyrical reflection, Lloyd-Rose grapples with some of the most profound and unresolved issues facing our society: How do we build strong, inclusive communities? How do we break cycles of damaging behaviour? How do we bring marginalized groups to the centre of our communal life? And what is the role of the police in all of this? At its heart, Into the Night is an exploration of what it would mean to reframe policing as a caring, rather than enforcement, role. It is also a luminous portrait of South London, the epicentre of Britain’s struggle against racist policing, surfacing hidden histories of resistance and abuse. Provoking outrage and empathy in equal measure, this is an urgent audiobook for troubled times, exploring how we got here and where we might go next.

About the Author :
Matt Lloyd-Rose has worked as a carer, primary school teacher, police officer, and in leadership roles across the charity and social sectors. He is the author of The Character Conundrum: How to develop confidence, independence and resilience in the classroom, and co-author, with Henry Eliot, of Curiocity: An Alternative A to Z of London. Into the Night is his third book. He lives in South London with his wife and two young children.

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 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 A compelling snapshot of modern policing Urgent . . . Lloyd-Rose’s writing is vivid and forensic Extraordinary . . . The account of what he experienced is lyrical, funny and often poignant A work of breathtaking social imagination, radiating kindness and wisdom. 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. 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. 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. 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 café. 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 . . . [A] humane and astute account of everyday policing in south London.