The Policing Extremism Project seeks to identify and examine the limitations of prevailing accounts of policing extremism in the context of conflict transformation and to develop critical research on SSR and development debates through a focus on their general applicability to a range of often diverse political, organizational and cultural contexts. We will also seek to problematise both the notion of 'extremism' and 'policing'. Rather than examine how an institution, 'the police', deals with a group of people 'the extremists', we are interested in how groups of people who hold views that appear, in certain aspects, to be outside the norms of society (although in many respects they are deeply embedded in society) but who often having strong views on the notion of policing themselves, relate to policing.

We will  engage with (a) other academics critically interrogating policing as conflict transformation; and (b) those implementing, managing and governing such operational approaches to policing  (e.g. policy makers, police assistance programmes, police training and research units), in a collaborative effort to explore the ethics, consequences and limitations of prevailing understandings of policing extremism as part of more generalised conflict transformation processes.

 

The group is led by Professor Beverley Milton-Edwards, School of Politics, International Studies and Philosophy. Other members include:

1. Dr Graham Ellison, School of Law
2. Dr Dominic Bryan, School of History and Anthropology
3. Dr Joanne Murphy, Management School
4. Dr Neil Jarman, ISCTSJ and Director Institute for Conflict Research Belfast
5. Professor Clive Jones, School of Government and International Affairs, Durham University
6. Professor Alice Hills, School of Government and International Affairs, Durham University

 

Professor Beverley Milton-Edwards (PISP) has undertaken research on policing in transition in deeply divided societies and also on security sector reform in the Middle East. Professor Milton-Edwards was principal investigator to EUPOLCOPPS in the Palestinian Territories (2006-10), The group brings together significant existing research expertise in QUB. Many of the scholars involved have published on topics relevant to policing conflict, policing deeply divided societies and policing transitions in conflict transformation contexts of Northern Ireland, South Africa, the Middle East and former Soviet states/Eastern Europe. These research areas include (but are not limited to): International Politics (e.g. governance and democracy; citizenship; conflict resolution; security and security sector reform); and Anthropology (e.g. Jarman has worked on police reform in Northern Ireland, South Africa and Kosovo and in particular on police community relations and the policing of public order) and Management (e.g. Murphy has recently published a monograph on policing in Northern based on a processual study of policing change and focusing particularly on issues of leadership, resourcing external agents and the pace and sequencing of change processes in turbulent external environments (Murphy, 2013). Law (e.g. Ellison, has written extensively on policing issues in Northern Ireland and has looked critically and problematically at whether the police reform process in Northern Ireland can be adopted as a model for emulation (Ellison & Pino, 2012).

 

Statement of aims of the Group

• To engage with (a) other academics critically interrogating policing as conflict transformation; and (b) those implementing, managing and governing such operational approaches to policing  (e.g. policy makers, police assistance programmes, police training and research units), in a collaborative effort to explore the ethics, consequences and limitations of prevailing understandings of policing extremism as part of more generalised conflict transformation processes.
  
  
• To increase the impact of both social scientific and humanities research by actively and collaboratively respecting silo-expertise but sharing ideas, coining bridging language, overcoming conceptual divides and enhancing critical engagement in the process of developing SSR and development approaches to policing extremism.

Strategic Aims:

• To develop and continue to submit high quality academic publications (both individual and collaborative), targeting high level journals and presses (e.g. Policing and Society; Security Dialogue; Terrorism and Political Violence, Journal of Organisational Change, Organisation Studies, Police Quarterly.
  
  
• To explore appropriate and likely sources of grant funding for the project; to develop a strategic and long-term approach to research funding; and to submit a substantial grant proposal.
  
  
• To develop and expand our existing international networksof Policing in Transition Networks, and build links with and inform the work of international bodies such as the OSCE Strategic Police Matters Unit and organisations working on policing reform such as Saferworld
  
  
• To establish new directed and focussed networkswith policy-makers and practitioners who are developing, implementing or engaged with Policing as part of SSR and Development in Conflict Transformation contexts; and to utilize those new networks to facilitate the impact of our research by engaging further in focused research which has direct relevance to such SSR processes
  
  
• To work to drawn in and mentor Post-Doctoral and PhD students working in this area with a specific focus on knowledge transfer.

 

Programme of activities

The group held its inaugural meeting on 21 June 2013, with funding from PISP and Durham University with the meeting attended by BME, NJ, JM, GE, DB and CJ (Durham). Forthcoming activities  4 Research Grant Workshopswith the group members throughout 2013 / 2014 (September; March; September; December) to accomplish the following:

 

• Workshop 1: To identify other potential group members within QUB; to identify areas of collaboration; to explore the possibility of applying to the immediate cross-council AHRC & ESRC, and EU funding through the FP7 programme funding calls.
  
  
• Workshop 2: To employ and embed expertise from successful grant holders within our IRG; clarify the research questions; develop clear objectives; and to work with collaborators (i.e. researchers; policy-makers; practitioners) in other institutions identified – primarily Durham University, University College Dublin (Aoghon Mulcahy), St Andrews University (Steve Reicher), University of Limerick (Orla Muldoon)
  
  
• Workshop 3: To reflect on the feedback from research trips and collaborative partners; to establish a clear schedule for the completion of the Research Grant Application
  
  
• Workshop 4: To finalize, edit and submit a large Research Grant application.