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

This book examines how countries in Europe have dealt with the COVID-19 crisis from a policing and security perspective, highlighting the challenges and lessons learned. Contributors from different countries analyze data, press coverage, and professional observations to assess how policing, law enforcement, police powers, and community relations were managed. They highlight the varying approaches taken by security and governmental actors, including the use of visible and repressive stances to enforce COVID rules. The book draws on data from the COROPOL Monitor to provide comparative insights and commentary on security governance during the crisis and offers recommendations for improving future preparedness.

Format: Hardback
Length: 197 pages
Publication date: 05 February 2023
Publisher: Springer International Publishing AG

This book delves into a comprehensive examination of how countries across Europe have approached the COVID-19 crisis from a policing and security perspective. Spanning across numerous chapters, contributors from diverse countries offer their insights and professional observations on how policing, law enforcement, police powers, and community relations have been managed during this challenging time. The focus lies in exploring the discrepancies between the intended crisis-management protocols and the actual implementation, leading to varying degrees of alignment between security and governmental actors.

The authors highlight how security and governmental entities often deviated from the prescribed scripts, resulting in the inconsistent application of professional discretion and coercive powers. This variance in approaches becomes evident as some regions witnessed a less dominant presence of police compared to others. In certain areas, the police adopted a visible and repressive stance, enforcing COVID rules, including lockdowns and curfews, to ensure public compliance.

Several contributors draw upon data from the COROPOL (Corona Policing) Monitor, a project that compiled information on crime, plural policing, and public order in Europe and worldwide during the early stages of the COVID crisis. This data provides valuable comparative insights and contributes to a deeper understanding of security governance during the pandemic.

Overall, this book aims to offer a comparative critical analysis, provide valuable commentary, and impart a practical and operational understanding of security governance during the COVID-19 crisis. By examining the lessons learned, it seeks to enhance future preparedness and response strategies to similar emergencies.

Weight: 412g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783031191763
Edition number: 1st ed. 2023