Policing Drugs: Legitimacy, Practice, and the Self-Legitimacy of Drug Detectives

Exploring the complex interplay between drug law enforcement and self-legitimacy among police officers, this book, through ten months of ethnographic research in Belgian cities, examines how drug detectives justify their role within a challenging landscape of moral, social, and legal dilemmas.

Chapters cover key theoretical frameworks, including self-legitimacy, moral philosophy, and policing culture, alongside detailed interviews and field observations. Readers gain insight into the motivat...