Security Governance Group Associate Charlotte Watson writes on the state of South African policing, calling for the need of a police service, not a police force. She is currently based in South Africa. - Policing in South Africa is once again in the spotlight after a series of incidents which are seen to highlight police brutality and corruption. 
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Tag | Police Reform
Policing in South Africa: A State of Crisis
By: Charlotte Watson | Thursday, March 21st, 2013Combatting Police Corruption: Opportunities for Security Governance through Civil Society
By: Isaac Caverhill-Godkewitsch | Monday, December 10th, 2012In November 2012, Transparency International’s International Defence and Security Programme published a report on the state of police corruption around the world titled Arresting Corruption in the Police. The report presents important insights into police corruption for domestic policy, illustrated though several case studies. Although the report is focused on domestic efforts, it also offers
Vertically Integrated Peacebuilding and Urban Violence in Haiti
By: Geoff Burt | Monday, October 29th, 2012The problems of donor coordination and horizontal integration in Haiti are well documented. It probably goes without saying that ensuring coherence in a UN system which in Haiti is made up of nine UN agencies — FAO, OCHA, UNAIDS, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF, WFP, WHO/PAHO — as well as the UN Stabilisation Mission (MINUSTAH) is
A Response to ‘Policing in Palestine’
By: Michael Lawrence | Friday, May 11th, 2012The recent SSR Issue Paper Policing in Palestine: The EU Police Reform Mission in the West Bank by Madeline Kristoff examines the process of police reform, makes policy recommendations, and ultimately concludes that the construction of legitimate and sustainable Palestinian institutions requires a credible Palestinian-Israeli peace process. We are pleased that Henrik Malmquist, head of
SSR Issue Paper: “Policing in Palestine: Analyzing the EU Police Reform Mission in the West Bank”
By: Geoff Burt | Thursday, February 2nd, 2012Police reform in the Palestinian Territories has faced many challenges. Rebuilding the police force in a post-conflict environment is not an easy task, and must take into account the community’s needs in order to build legitimacy. In 2006, the European Union Police Coordinating Office for Palestinian Police Support was established to support the short-term objectives
Conference Report: At the Margins of SSR: Gender and Informal Justice
By: Geoff Burt | Wednesday, March 30th, 2011In September 2010, CIGI and the North-South Institute hosted a conference entitled, “At the Margins of SSR: Gender and Informal Justice,” which aimed to increase awareness of gender and informal justice, two areas of security sector reform (SSR) that have often been overlooked. The morning session examined southern women’s experiences with police reform, and the
CIGI’s first SSR Issue Paper discusses SSR in Haiti one year after the earthquake
By: Geoff Burt | Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011The SSR Resource Centre is pleased to announce the launch of the SSR Issue Papers. The first paper, entitled “Security Sector Reform in Haiti: One Year After the Earthquake,” is written by Isabelle Fortin, an independent researcher in the field of security and justice system reform, specializing in community violence, gender-based violence and public security
Police revolt against austerity measures in Ecuador, president decries “attempted coup”
By: Mike Malecki | Wednesday, October 6th, 2010On September 30, Ecuador underwent a period of rebellion when police forces took to the streets in a revolt against a law passed by congress that ended the practice of awarding medals and salary bonuses for every police and military promotion. The ramifications of the protest paralyzed the country and forced the president to declare
Report: Pakistan’s Police between Centralization and Devolution
By: Jesse Hembruff | Friday, August 20th, 2010A key component of President Obama’s counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan has been the “civilianizing” of conflict. In Afghanistan, this is to take the form of a “civilian surge,” and in neighbouring Pakistan, it is to be implemented as part of the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act. The bill mandates support for police professionalization and is
From prevention to enforcement to…? Report outlines how South Africa’s policing approach has come full circle
By: Jesse Hembruff | Thursday, June 10th, 2010Despite being heralded as one of the developing world’s rising stars, it is no secret that South Africa has struggled with crime since the fall of the apartheid regime. As of yet, attempts to resolve the crime problem have been largely ineffective, and a growing gap between communities and the police has emerged. A new
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