Security policies in Italy and Europe: is it the public that drives policies or politics that drives the public?

Session Submission Type: Roundtable

Abstract

This roundtable aims to foster dialogue on the factors that have led to the implementation of punitive urban security policies in Italy and Europe. In recent decades, crime and security have become key political issues in Western countries, fueled by public perceptions of rising crime and insecurity. Despite the various possible approaches, governments have increasingly adopted punitive policies at both national and local levels, moving away from the penal welfarism that shaped the post-World War II strategies. Italy has followed this trend, replacing social prevention strategies with situational crime prevention and controlling public spaces through administrative measures linked to the penal system. However, the reasons behind these shifts remain debated. This roundtable seeks to contribute to filling this gap by discussing the results of a research project aimed at identifying the determinants of urban security policies in Italy. The goal is to understand whether public concerns drive punitive urban security policies, or if political elites and the media influence public fears, thereby shaping demands for punitive policies. In short, the leading question of the roundtable is: is it the public that drives policies, or is it politics that drives the public? The roundtable will consist of a short contribution from members of the team who worked on the Italian research, followed by a broader discussion to expand the perspective to the European scenario.

Subtopic

• Topic 5: Social Control and Criminal Justice / Criminal Policy, Criminalization, Policy of Criminal Sanctions (Criminal Law Making Policy WG)

Chair

• Rossella Selmini, University of Bologna

Discussants

• Stefania Crocitti, University of Bologna

• Anna Di Ronco, University of Bologna

• Chiara Chisari, University of Bologna

• Jacques Maillard, CNRS CESDIP UVSQ

• Adam Crawford, University of York

Individual Presentations

• The determinants of urban security policies in Italy. - Rossella Selmini, University of Bologna; Roberto Cornelli, University of Milan Bicocca; Stefania Crocitti, University of Bologna; Anna Di Ronco, University of Bologna; Lucrezia Rossi, università degli studi di milano; Chiara Chisari, University of Bologna