Plural Policing, Security and the COVID Crisis: Comparative European Perspectives

by Monica Den Boer (Editor), Eric Bervoets (Editor), Linda Hak (Editor)

Overview

This book critically examines how countries across Europe have dealt with the COVID crisis from a policing and security perspective. Across the chapters, contributors from different countries examine the data, press coverage, and provide professional observations on how policing, law enforcement, police powers and community relations were managed. They focus on how security and governmental actors often failed to align with the formal scripts that were specifically designed for crisis-management, resulting in the wavering application of professional discretion and coercive powers. Their different approaches were evident: in some regions police were less dominantly visible compared to other regions, where the police used a top-down visible and repressive stance vis-à-vis public alignment with COVID rules, including the imposition of lockdown and curfews. Some contributors draw on data from the COROPOL (Corona Policing) Monitor which collated data on crime, plural policing and public order in Europe and around the world during the early phases of the COVID crisis. Overall, this book seeks to provide comparative critical insights and commentary as well as a practical and operational understanding of security governance during the COVID-19 crisis and the lessons learned to improve future preparedness.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783031191770
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan
Publication date:	02/04/2023
Series:	Palgrave's Critical Policing Studies
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Monica den Boer ​is Professor of Military Policing Operations at the Netherlands Defence Academy. Her primary research focus is on the evolution of military policing, as well as border policing, international policing, urban policing and the policing of organised crime and terrorism. She served as member of the Dutch national parliament from 2017 to 2020. Prior to this she worked in several academic and professional environments, including the Police Academy of the Netherlands and the VU University Amsterdam.

Eric Bervoets is a police scientist and criminologist. He has been active as a researcher since 1997. After a master's degree in public administration at Rotterdam Erasmus University, the Netherlands, Bervoets obtained his PhD in 2006 with a dissertation on policing troubled neighbourhoods. In 2020, he was appointed Research Fellow at the Netherlands Defence Academy.

Linda Hak obtained her BSc in Criminology at Erasmus University and a master’s degree in Legal Psychology at Maastricht University, the Netherlands. She served as a research intern at Bureau Bervoets and is employed as a detective assistant for the National Police of the Netherlands.

Table of Contents

1. Introductory Chapter: Presenting a Conceptual Framework for Critical Analysis and Mutual Comparison.- 2. Looking Back at the Data: Reconstruction Chapter: Ferwerda et al.- 3. Security Governance and Policing of COVID-19: Dutch versus the Obedient Germans and Belgians? Eric Bervoets and Monica Den Boer.- 4. Security Governance and Policing of COVID-19 in the Nordic Countries?.- 5. Security Governance and Policing of COVID-19 in Central and East-Europe? Andrej Sotlar, Branko Lobnikar, Krunoslav Borovic, Irena Cajner Mraović, Gregor Wenda.- 6. Security Governance and Policing of COVID-19 in South Europe: Fines, Street Surveillance, and Police Violence Amidst a Total Lockdown. Prospective author: Anastassia Tsoukala.- 7. Security Governance and Policing of COVID-19 in the Atlantic Archipelago: An Orderly Affair Amidst the Brexit Divorce? Prospective authors: Saskia Hufnagel, Queen Mary University London and Ben Bradford.- 8. Concluding Chapter: Summary of Principal Findings and Lessons to be Learnt, by the Editors, Eric Bervoets and Monica den Boer.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Monica den Boer, Eric Bervoets and Linda Hak have produced an outstanding book on the dynamics of plural policing, security and the COVID Crisis. By linking empirical insights about our understanding of policing during the COVID pandemic with empirical investigations in highly interesting comparative European case studies, the book makes a substantial contribution to our understanding of both the theoretical and empirical dynamics of the phenomenon. Indeed, this is an excellent book which provides a very interesting and compelling analysis of an important and largely under-researched topic. It is highly recommended for anyone interested in Policing Studies, Political Science, Sociology and Criminology, or International Security more generally.” (Christian Kaunert, Professor of International Security, Dublin City University, Ireland and Professor of Policing and Security & Director of the International Centre for Policing and Security, University of South Wales, UK)

“Anyone curious about how plural policing unfolds in times of crisis should read this book. Experts empirically describe the dynamics during the fight against COVID-19 in 9 countries and show how existing trends and patterns in plural policing are confirmed or not, making it an attractive read. It reveals an intriguing patchwork and generates insights for academics and practitioners about the (non-)active role of a diversity of actors in the governance of security during crises. This collection contains several insights and lessons learnt for scholars as well as practitioners of policing.” (Marleen Easton, Professor and head of the research group 'Governing and Policing Security' (GaPS) at the Department of Public Governance and Management at Ghent University, Belgium)

“They say that in crisis management, you should be quick with the facts but slow with the blame. That is precisely what this must-read book does. A number of highly credible observers give a rare insight into how Europe acted upon its worst challenge in our time. By putting light on how a number of different states across Europe acted in these dire times, the authors have been able to catch not only essential learning points for the future - but also add a new understanding of what policing and harm reduction really is. It’s not good vs evil. It´s more about how to prevent something bad from getting worse.” (Dr Ivar Fahsing is a detective chief superintendent and associate professor at the Norwegian Police University College)