Democratic Policing in Times of Trouble? Police Responses to Security Reforms and Transitional Justice in Northern Ireland
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22010262 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jess Bonnan-White (0000-0001-5695-9024), Lauren Marie Balasco (0000-0002-7639-7521) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 12 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 1-22 |
| Publication date | 2025-12-05 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Stability International Journal of Security and Development (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2165-2627 • E-ISSN: 2165-2627 |
| Publisher | Department of Peace Studies and International Development, University of Bradford (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.33534/sta.1001 |
| OpenAlex | W4417038621 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 38 |
As institutional stakeholders in post-conflict security sector reform initiatives, the study of police officers can shed significant light on key questions about the durability and connections between democratic policing and peacebuilding. The article presents Northern Ireland as a case study to explore engagement of police officers in transitional justice and police reform processes after the Troubles (1968–1998). Semi-structured interviews with 19 retired officers who served both as members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) show how they have experienced disillusionment and dissatisfaction with specific outcomes of the political transition. Their reflections on the roles and responsibilities that officers maintain in implementing democratic policing principles reveal a response that extends beyond simple rejection or acceptance of police reform mandates. Their narratives also highlight that a holistic and pragmatic approach to (in)security to guide post-conflict engagement with community stakeholders would help overcome perceived resistance to institutional reforms
Community policing · Democracy · Economic Justice · Narrative · Northern ireland · Politics · Transitional justice · Irish and British Studies · Peacebuilding and International Security · Policing Practices and Perceptions
The Irreconcilable Goals of Transitional Justice
The policing culture
What democratic policing is ... and is not
Making security sector reform organic
Do transitional justice measures help foster democratic security forces
Security Sector Reform and Transitional Justice in Kosovo
Post-conflict Transformation
Transitional Justice, Institutions and Temporality
Security governance in transition
Police reform
Police officers as change agents in police reform
Democratic policing
Victims Who Have Done Nothing or Victims Who Have Done Nothing Wrong
The ‘Other’ Lessons from Ireland
Policing History
Historical dialogue and memory in policing change
Securing' the Past
From Direct Rule to Motorman
Smoke Without Fire'? Allegations Against the British Army in Northern Ireland, 1972-5
Using thematic analysis in psychology
Truth Friction in Northern Ireland
The Ballot and the Badge
Policing and Political Violence
Police reform in Northern Ireland
Police reforms in peace agreements, 1975-2011
Breaking state impunity in post-authoritarian regimes
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |