Police reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina: state, democracy and international assistance

Police reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina: state, democracy and international assistance

Article Type: Perspectives on policing From: Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, Volume 32, Issue 1

A. Aitchison,Policing and Society,2007,Vol. 17,pp. 321-343

Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is a nation that was once a part of the six federal units that made up the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In 1995 Bosnia and Herzegovina signed the General Framework Agreement for Peace; this marked the beginning of a process of reconstruction, reform and democratization. Policing was seen as one of the key factors to democratization. The UN and EU supported the BiH in policing assistance and focused primarily on state policing. The UK Department of International Development also assisted the countries policing developments.

The article reviews Shearing’s (1997) theory that the police are a critical aspect of a democratic government, and analyzes the BiH to determine its relationship to this theory. When the war ended in BiH state militias took the role as post-war police forces and faced many challenges. The role the militias played throughout the war were not the policing roles that needed to be occupied after the war, the militia members had to adjust to policing a liberal democratic state in the new post-war police structures.

In the former Yugoslavia the majority of policing was conducted by militia and was structured militaristically, with a lack of accountability at the local level. During this time period chaos reigned. Individual republics had no designated police and war often broke out. The military tried to take over this role, and more individuals were needed to fill military positions. The new individuals saw the requirements of the military positions waived and it appeared that anyone could take the role of police. Corruption was seen throughout the military police and crimes against humanity were a regular characteristic of the police. The authorities in BiH faced the task of rebuilding the public’s perception of police and the police’s ability to operate in a democratic nation. A great deal of the change that needed to occur first was internal.

The shift from socialism to political liberalism resulted in an increase in crime. The rises caused a new sensitivity to crime, and an increase in public anxieties occurred. During the war many of the citizens lost family members who played protective roles, this increased their sense of vulnerability. There was no disagreement that the new police forces would face several challenges in the efforts of creating a liberal democratic society. Assistance was needed in order for a democratic police agency to be created. The General Framework Agreement provided the BiH with an International Police Force under the UN authority. The forces main role was to assist entities in meeting constitutional obligations to ensure safety for all individuals in their jurisdiction. The international police force provided assistances in many areas, including monitoring and facilitating enforcement activities, they offered advice and training to police forces. They also provided advice to government bodies, assessed threats and evaluated capabilities, accompanied police on tasks and reported human rights violations.

In 1998 a major certification process began whereby individual officers were given authority to serve in the BiH. Education and training was emphasized as 23,751 officers and other staff registered. Background checks were complete and officers were trained in human rights, public order and crime related topics. Amidst the ongoing concerns over police abuses of human rights police conduct was regarded as the “greatest obstacle to freedom of movement”. The policing movement focused on peace-building and democratic consolidation. Officers used community policing and other methods to work on broader issues of rebuilding communities, resolving local conflicts and ensuring the safety of displaced persons returning to their pre-war homes. The project was not limited to policing, but the police were an important factor in reform and reconstruction.

Similarities can be found between BiH rebuilding and the US relationship with Iraq. BiH was given much support by the UN and the UK to rebuild itself as a democratic nation. Currently the US is working with Iraq and assisting them with a great amount of resources to train its military and police. The article emphasizes the importance of the police in a democratic nation. The US is working with Iraq throughout the war to increase their ability to be a democratic nation as was the goals in BiH. The article also relates to the policing discussed by Hills (2008) description of Nigeria. In both articles we see that corruption is a common characteristic in countries lacking a strong democracy.

Joy ChambersUniversity of Missouri-Kansas City, Missouri, USA