Abstract:
I have been involved in policing and crime prevention for many years. I was a
sworn member of Victoria Police (Australia), a crime prevention coordinator in a
New Zealand community, and am currently employed by New Zealand Police
(NZP). My interest in international policing grew as I realised more and more
police were serving in a number of roles overseas. At first, I thought this a nice
departure from normal duties for those lucky enough to take up opportunities to
contribute to policing in other countries. Deeper thought followed about the
juxtaposition of western models of policing, international relations and the
customs of developing countries. The more I tried to find out the more
questions were raised. Soon it was evident that little had been written about
international policing and even less about international policing in relation to the
Pacific. The need for research that combines the study of cross-border policing
of crime and criminality with international relations scholarship has been
identified by Peter Andreas and Ethan Nadelmann in their 2006 co-authored
book. A growing body of literature examines policing and development in the
Pacific, but is mainly centred on conflicts in Melanesia with particular emphasis
on the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI). Apparently, no
single work discusses the needs of police services in the Pacific in relation to
domestic policing and international cooperation. This work seeks to fill that gap.
