Russell Brewer, Policing the waterfront: Networks, partnerships, and the governance of port security
| Author | Francis D Boateng |
| Published date | 01 September 2017 |
| Date | 01 September 2017 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/0004865816672140 |
| Subject Matter | Book Reviews |
For followers of US immigration and border control policy, this book will stand as a
seminal work that fills a distinct gap in the understanding of these policies and goes some
way to explaining how harmful consequences can follow from even well-intentioned
(if not well-executed) reforms. The book will also be a valuable reference, and strike a
cautionary note, for readers from countries such as Australia that often follow the US
policy lead, and for others with a comparative interest in immigration policy. Dreams
and Nightmares also has the potential to cross disciplinary boundaries to appeal to
readers with a more general concern for the much vaunted but seldom realised universal
rights of children.
It might be argued that the focus on practical analysis and policy impact in Dreams
and Nightmares has limited the contribution the work could have made in a number of
theoretical areas. The authors acknowledge that their empirical findings have relevance
for the ‘crimmigration thesis’ (Stumpf, 2006) and for the study of racial and other forms
of discrimination, but do not develop these themes in any depth. One could also point to
the copious literature on socio-legal theories of discretion, which is not explicitly applied.
However, none of this detracts from the core achievements of the book, which stands as
a thorough and insightful analysis within practical and conceptual boundaries that are
clearly stated by the authors. When the wellbeing of all children and the preservation of
families become principles that are strong enough to outweigh the exclusionary senti-
ments that characterise this moment in history, this book will have fulfilled its ultimate
purpose.
References
Bhabha, J. (2014). Child migration and human rights in a global age. Princeton, NJ: Princeton
University Press.
De Genova, N., & Peutz, N. (2010). The deportation regime: Sovereignty, space and the freedom of
movement. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
Nicholls, G. (2007). Deported: A history of forced departures from Australia. Sydney, NSW:
UNSW Press.
Pratt, A. (2005). Securing borders: Detention and deportation in Canada. Vancouver, BC: UBC
Press.
Stumpf, J. P. (2006). The crimmigration crisis: Immigrants, crime, & sovereign power. American
University Law Review,56(2), 356–420.
Russell Brewer, Policing the waterfront: Networks, partnerships, and the governance of port security.
Oxford University Press: Oxford, 2014; x + 228 pp. ISBN 9780199687367, E68.00 (hbk)
Reviewed by: Francis D Boateng, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, USA
Criminal activities on the waterfront have long been recognized as a major problem
facing maritime port authorities around the world. Although the majority of the people
and businesses that patronize the ports do so legitimately, some engage in all types of
illegal activities, including trafficking of drugs, humans, and protected species. Most of
these criminals are individuals who have inside knowledge of the port. Their positions as
port workers enable them to plan and execute illegal activities without trace or detection.
Due to the complex nature of the crimes committed, inter-agency collaboration is needed
460 Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology 50(3)
To continue reading
Request your trial