Changing the Guard: Developing Democratic Police Abroad

by David H. Bayley

Every day the American government, the United Nations, and other international institutions send people into non-English speaking, war-torn, and often minimally democratic countries struggling to cope with rising crime and disorder under a new regime. These assistance missions attempt to promote democratic law enforcement in devastated countries. But do these missions really facilitate the creation of effective policing? Renowned criminologist David H. Bayley here examines the prospects for the reform of police forces overseas as a means of encouraging the development of democratic governments. In doing so, he assesses obstacles for promoting democratic policing in a state-of-the-art review of all efforts to promote democratic reform since 1991. Changing the Guard offers an inside look at the achievements and limits of current American foreign assistance, outlining the nature and scope of the police assistance program and the agencies that provide it. Bayley concludes with
recommendations for how police assistance could be improved in volatile countries across the world. This book is required reading as an instruction manual for building democratic policing overseas.

184 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Rachel Brune · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some excellent perspectives, and interesting propositions, on the topic of building police capacity abroad in the context of democratic reform. One helpful aspect was the executive summary of recommendations in the back; (I kind of wished I had read that first—although I read a lot of academic work, and enjoy it, I found the tone dryer than dust.) Also, this book was published in 2006; I do feel that an update that examines the Department of Defense's efforts in police reconstruction would be quite helpful. All in all, I do recommend this book for any professionals currently involved in this arena.