Governing human security: Reassessing the boundary between soldiering and policing when protecting civilians

• In Event: Satisfaction with, Trust in, and Cooperation with Police

Abstract

Violence against civilian populations is a salient characteristic of contemporary conflict. Whereas conventional war interventions upheld a clear distinction between the military and police professions, modern warfare and present polities blur the boundaries between the two, obligating both entities to mitigate the suffering inflicted by other violent aggressors. This article endeavors to shed new light onto how security professionals contend with present-day policies that seeks to protect civilians from violence. Specifically, the article explores where Norwegian military officers who have served in international operations believe the demarcation between the military and police professions should lie. The officers use a comparative approach – the Norwegian context with foreign armed conflicts – in order to argue two contrasting positions: one camp denounces the fusion of soldiering and policing as highly problematic, while the other perceives hybrid responsibilities as the way of the future. The article thus contributes to the ongoing academic discourse on the intersection between military and police work and the implications of such hybridization for the governance of security and the protection of civilian populations in the context of contemporary conflict.

Author

• Sine Vorland Holen, Norwegian Defence University College / University of Oslo