Role of Civilian Police in Peacekeeping: 1999-2007

• NCJ Number: 242602
• Author(s): Garth den Heyer
• Date Published: 2012
• Length: 228 pages
• Grant Number(s): USIP-074-09F
• Sponsoring Agency: US Institute of Peace
• Sale Source: Police Foundation
• Publication Format: Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Analysis; Case Study
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study fills a gap in previous research about how peacekeeping missions (maintaining civil order in the rebuilding of a country after a major conflict) were planned, managed, and evaluated from the police perspective; and it reports the findings from 23 peacekeeping missions in developing a new police peacekeeping model that may be used in such missions.

Abstract

Part I of this three-part presentation sets the context for the study by discussing the role of civilian police in peacekeeping missions. Part II presents the 23 case studies, and Part III analyzes the information obtained and presents a new reform model for civilian police peacekeeping that is adaptable for use in future peacekeeping missions. The format for each of the 23 case studies consists of the background to the mission, mandate of the mission, mission deployment environment, actions of the mission (output), mission implementation (model), mission achievements (outcomes), and ways in which the mission was evaluated. The proposed new civilian police peacekeeping model is a dynamic, flexible police reform framework that takes into account the culture of the nation being assisted. It relies on a collection of intelligence before the mission, an environmental scan of the country, and an improved mission planning process. The proposed model will reduce the tendency of both academics and practitioners to approach police reform as a technical exercise devoid of local history, culture, and political risk. The model ensures that a comprehensive picture of the environment and the issues facing police in the post-conflict nation are obtained and that this information informs the mission mandate, the pre-deployment plan, and the mission plan. Such an approach will make police planners aware of the objectives when developing a mission and will also ensure that the appropriate technical skills and resources are identified in designing a phased, measurable reform program. 3 figures, 13 maps, 44 tables, and extensive references