RT Article
T1 A fear of coercion and accountability?: security officers and the non-use of force
JF Policing and society
VO 28
IS 8
SP 985
OP 998
A1 Eski, Yarin
LA English
YR 2018
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1845627253
AB Based on fieldwork among operational security officers working in the Hamburg and Rotterdam ports, it became clear these frontline port policing professionals possess a critical, even fearful attitude towards coercion while performing their duties in the ports. The power of arrest and the possibility of being weaponised were especially problematic. Overall, they revealed a rather different attitude towards coercion than is generally ascribed to security officers and accounted for in (critical) criminological literature. This paper will explore the extent to which (the stereotype of) security officers being power hungry and trigger-happy cowboys is a correct reflection of port security occupational realities in Northwest Europe. Empirical evidence is provided on security officers’ worry and fear of using power, weaponisation, and accountability. It will show that the security officers, responsibilised for making port communities feel safer and the port as highly important global critical infrastructure more secure, are fearful and risk-averse themselves. Meaning that, if security officers fear to coerce (with weapons) due to accountability fear, which turns them idle, it implies we are witnessing the delivery of a placebo security that deserves further scrutiny.
NO Literaturverzeichnis: Seite 996-998
K1 Use of force
K1 private policing
K1 Security
K1 Accountability
K1 port security
DO 10.1080/10439463.2017.1340292