Police Kids is a screenprint that layers irony over the themes of authority, culture, and childhood innocence. The title itself plays on the double meaning of “police”: rather than literal officers, it suggests the policing of exuberance, imagination, and play.

In the work, children symbols of innocence are shown wearing bulletproof vests, their carefree nature tempered by symbols of surveillance and control. The image captures Banksy’s recurring critique of how society disciplines youth, framing vitality and spontaneity as something that must be contained.

Released in 2005, the edition comprises 350 prints in blue (150 signed, 200 unsigned), alongside a rare run of 22 pink proofs. Banksy himself reflected on this theme in Wall and Piece:

“A lot of parents will do anything for their children except let them be themselves.”