Future of policing: policing the future? Lessons from the past to understand the present

  • Didier Bigo

Abstract

This article is based on the results of research on the contemporary field of the EU internal security agencies and on its genesis. It sums up some of the findings concerning the history of European policing in order to discuss what its future might be.
Traditionally, European police cooperation has been grounded in informal intergovernmental networks with strong ties to the intelligence world and with a strong focus on European terrorism. More recently, the impact of technology has been very influential on the shaping of new police cooperation arrangements, particularly in the area of ICT - networks - such as the Schengen Information System. Another development has been the ‘external’ side of EU-policing in the form of civil police missions, often with an emphasis on restoring peace and stability in post-conflict regions, the reform of police and judicial institutions, as well as the training of local police officers. With the Stockholm Programme, the author welcomes the recent but late introduction of checks and balances in the fields of justice and security, as well as the emphasis on social and professional legitimacy.

Published
2017-07-01
How to Cite
Bigo, D. (2017). Future of policing: policing the future? Lessons from the past to understand the present. European Law Enforcement Research Bulletin, (2), 121-134. Retrieved from http://bulletin.cepol.europa.eu/index.php/bulletin/article/view/209