Weekly schedule:

Week 1

Introduction, Definitions and Context:

This session is designed to set the direction for the coming semester, introducing the basic concepts of policing and law enforcement systems. This is a critical session as it lays out the framework for analysis of policing and law enforcement systems, giving context to how the unit fits with the other units in the policing stream.

Week 2

Distinguishing Policing Systems:

Policing systems may be described as falling within two discrete areas of analysis, Deviance Control (rule compliance) or Civil Order Maintenance (peace and good order). Whilst these 2 extremes are useful for analytical purposes, the reality is that most police forces adopt elements of both. Added to this is the “force” or “service” argument with respect to the strategies employed. In this session we will examine a variety of policing systems to gain a better appreciation of their relative strengths and weaknesses.

Week 3

Impact of Legal Systems:

One of the basic tenets of policing is law enforcement. On an international scale, there are several key legal systems that define the legislative base upon which policing services are delivered. Whilst the delivery of policing services in a variety of contexts will be the subject of coming sessions, this session will provide an opportunity to analyse the relative strengths and weaknesses of the 4 major legal systems (common law, civil, socialist and religious) as well as gain an appreciation of issues of International Law that will be relied upon when canvassing issues in later sessions.

Week 4

Democratic Policing:

Scholars who advocate democratic policing have identified several tenets that are fundamental to democratic policing, such as the rule of law, accountability to the public, open decision making, minimal use of force, involvement of public in policing, maximum respect for human rights, and internal democracy in the organization. This session will examine how the most visible element of government authority, policing/law enforcement, is conducted within the context of a functioning democracy.

Week 5

Authoritarian Policing:

The provision of law enforcement in countries that embrace an authoritarian perspective brings with it a unique set of challenges. Notwithstanding the fall of the Berlin Wall and the impact that has had on social and economic systems across the former eastern-bloc, there remain many examples of authoritarian governments and their application of policing authority to control the population. This session will examine the systems of law enforcement and policing employed in some of those countries with a view to providing a contrast with other social systems.

Week 6

Religious/Cultural Policing:

The emergence of fundamentalism as a social order has been gaining momentum, particularly in recent decades with the rise of Islamic countries, but that is not the only example of accommodating religion/culture when delivering punishment/justice. In Australia, aboriginal communities are looking to apply traditional law solutions to current problems. In the United States and Canada, native laws are being applied to first nation’s people. In Africa, tribal legal systems are utilised to administer justice. This session will analyse a number of examples of religious and cultural policing environment, with a view to providing students with a greater understanding of the issues impacting on law enforcement from both an international and local perspective.

Week 7

Policing in Developing Countries:

Countries across Africa, Asia and to a certain extent South America are emerging as economic forces, principally through resource development. As their financial stability improves, the demands of the populace for greater equity both in terms of wealth acquisition and treatment by public authorities will intensify. This in turn will impact on the style and system of law enforcement that is adopted. In this session, we will examine first from an historical perspective the transition of law and order practices in countries that have moved from 2^nd and 3^rd world status to 1^st world status and then look at current examples where that same transition is taking place.

Week 8

Policing in Failed or Failing States:

As the World Order adjusts for emerging nations, there is a similar need to adjust for declining nations and this session will look at some of the factors, from a law and order perspective that would benefit from analysis from our perspective. Across the Middle East and North Africa, in some South/Latin American States and even in some European countries the authority of the presiding governments is in decline. The populace is agitating for change as living conditions continue to fall. Not yet on the brink of civil war but suffering from a continual deterioration in public amenity and safety, our analysis of the changes in law enforcement strategy and activity will prove instructive.

Week 9

Policing in Conflict Zones:

The nature of human interaction is such that conflict will always be present somewhere. In times where some form of warfare takes place, there is an expectation that the United Nations will assume some form of responsibility for returning the conflict zones to a more secure footing. Of necessity, in the post-military intervention phase, this will generally involve the construct of a civilian peacekeeping/law and order force, comprised of civilian police officers and private contractors who will be responsible for installing a system of safety, security and law and order that will offer stability and equity to the general populace. This session will look at previous and current examples of law enforcement systems installed in countries where conflict has occurred.

Week 10

Piracy:

The issue of piracy has been present for centuries with, in a sense, one of the first identified organised crime groups patrolling the seas looking to relieve merchant vessels of their cargo. In the modern context, the issue of piracy has become less about the acquisition of the property and more about the extortion of the property owners by way of ransoming the cargo. None the less, the basic philosophy of piracy remains unchanged. There are a number of hotspots internationally where this issue is centred, the most notable being the Horn of Africa where cargo ships, oil tankers and even passenger ships have been taken hostage, valuables taken and ransoms paid for return of control to the crew. The prevention, detection and investigation processes relating to piracy are significant and elaborate, requiring partnership activities between military, public police, government agencies and private contractors. The use of intelligence and technology to track pirates and potential targets makes this a most challenging law enforcement environment. All of this is compounded by the “law of the seas” where sovereign countries and international law collide. This session will examine some of the critical issues around law enforcement using piracy as the context.

Week 11

Globalisation and its Potential Impacts:

Organised crime is no longer the purview of localised or even regional gangs. The advent of technology, mobility and hierarchy have not just made the global community more compact, but the crime community more global. Police forces around the world are committing ever increasing resources to international crime mileaux. The challenge for the law enforcement community and their respective governments is to develop enforceable strategies and processes that can impact on the activities of a group who may be operating in one country but organised in another. The need for international partnerships, systems and legislation all form part of any prospective system to prevent globally driven crime. This session will look at some of the critical issues of the globalisation of crime.

Week 12

Human Trafficking:

The issue of trafficking in people has grown in significance dramatically over the past decade. What was once generally considered a relatively isolated activity is now a global crime problem as people of all ages, but particularly adolescents and children are moved from one country to another not only as part of a criminal act but also to engage in other criminal acts once relocated. The challenges for the law enforcement community are significant and complex, with operational, legislative, economic and cultural issues all impacting on the ability of the authorities to prevent these types of crimes from occurring. This session will examine the volume, type and intent of human trafficking together with an assessment of the strategies being used and developed to combat its occurrence.

Week 13

Future Directions:

This session is dedicated to an exploration of the critical issues for law enforcement from an international perspective. As legal systems continue to distil and criminal activities migrate beyond jurisdictional borders, what direction will law enforcement organisations go in? What scope for development is there to gain the best of both public and private organisational capabilities?