Biopolitics, control and pandemic policing in Victoria, Australia

Abstract

The state of Victoria experienced the most far-reaching of Australia’s COVID-19 control strategies in 2020. While an initial lockdown resulted in a temporary abatement of reported infections, this was followed by an extensive resurgence of cases resulting in a 112-day lockdown from the end of winter through most of spring 2020. The ongoing social and economic costs of these measures are yet to be determined. However, our contribution proposes that the links between Foucauldian biopolitics and the Deleuzian society of control offer important insights into the impacts of the Victorian lockdowns on routine police work. Specifically, we argue that the evolution of pandemic policing, within a fra..