Ben Bowling and James Sheptycki, Global Policing
| Author | Matthew Davies |
| Published date | 01 December 2013 |
| Date | 01 December 2013 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/1462474513509147 |
| Subject Matter | Book reviews |
Punishment & Society
15(5) 554–591
!The Author(s) 2013
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DOI: 10.1177/1462474513509147
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Book reviews
Ben Bowling and James Sheptycki, Global Policing, SAGE: London, 2012; 192 pp.: 9781849200813,
£22.99
In Global Policing, Ben Bowling and James Sheptycki embark upon an ambitious
journey to develop an ‘empirically grounded theory of global policing’ (p. 1), with
the hope that global policing can be made ‘more responsive to the desire of people
everywhere to live in a world commonwealth fit for all’ (p. 7). The scale of the task
is enormous, but the authors reveal a rich understanding of the subject, drawing
upon a wide range of theoretical insights in policing and colouring their perspective
with a number of fascinating examples from around the world as they neatly map
out their theory of global policing.
Bowling and Sheptycki begin with a succinct theoretical outline of transnational
policing, usefully delineating between varying degrees of policing at the trans-
national level. Their account of global policing is informed by a modern reading
of social contract theory, in which modern society is built around organizations
rather than individuals. Their assertion that police powers can no longer be under-
stood within strict nation-state boundaries is a point well made. ‘Glocal’ policing in
particular emphasizes this point, illuminating the ways in which even localized
forms of policing have been fundamentally shaped by trends at the national and
transnational levels. This modern polycentric form of global policing is brought to
life in Chapter 3 as Bowling and Sheptycki begin to navigate their way through
some of the major transnational policing structures. The architectural metaphor
allows the authors to sketch out the ways in which police actors work ‘above’,
‘below’ and ‘beyond’ the nation-state system in pervasive ways.
One of the most significant contributions to the literature on global policing that
the book offers is the exploration of the transnational policing subculture. The
occupational diversity within the policing world makes the identification of a set
of occupational characteristics challenging – all the more so when applied to the
superfluous and complex nature of global policing. However, Bowling and
Sheptycki draw together a cogent typology of eight archetypal transnational poli-
cing actors. Their typology derives from what turns out to be a narrow global
understanding of the policing mandate which places the ‘enforcement’ character
at the centre stage. Transnational police officers, such as International Liaison
Officers (ILOs), are further drawn together through the global architecture which
includes mutual legal assistance treaties, fast-track extradition and regional arrest
warrants among others. With these shared features, transnational policing has
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