Newsroom > Faculty Member’s New Book Highlights Great Responsibility of International Law Enforcement Community

Newsroom Archive


   

Faculty Member’s New Book Highlights Great Responsibility of International Law Enforcement Community

Professor George Andreopoulos in the Department of Political Science and Director of the Center for International Human Rights has a newly published book entitled, “Policing Across Borders: Law Enforcement Networks and the Challenges of Crime Control” that examines the current challenges confronting law enforcement agencies in the Balkan region as they attempt to deal with two main transnational threats in that region: human trafficking and terrorism.

“One of the main arguments we are making in this book is that in order to promote effective and sustainable cross border operations it is important to ensure that these collaborations unfold in a normative context that is respectful of international rules and standards,” said Andreopoulos.

Because law enforcement constitutes a very important dimension of global governance, more and more states are realizing that in order to deal with transnational threats, such as human and drug trafficking, money laundering, and terrorism, there must be increased transnational collaboration.

Andreopoulos argues that states cannot address their threats to security on their own; therefore, their law enforcement agencies have to work with their counterparts in other states to develop and sustain an effective mechanism for containing and combating these threats.

“It is imperative for law enforcement to operate in an environment characterized by respect for and adherence to human rights standards,” he said. Law enforcement approaches to human trafficking, for example, tend to portray trafficked persons as criminals. What we hope for is to move away from the criminalization of the victim and see trafficked persons as human beings who are in need of assistance and protection. In addition, anti-trafficking policies must place more emphasis on the demand side of the problem instead of just the supply side.”

Andreopoulos’ focus on law enforcement issues is the result of his longstanding research interest in human rights, more specifically his involvement in training programs for law enforcement officials that would address critical human rights-related issues. Given the rising profile of law enforcement in international affairs, it is imperative that the activities of the law enforcement community adhere to certain fundamental human rights standards.

For more information about the book, click here.