Alien Citizens as a Category of Crime Policy
by Wolf-Dieter Narr
The concept of alien is an ideal instrument for purposes of discrimination. One becomes alien through a specific definition of crime policy which has grave consequences. Alien citizens are incomparably more suspicious as potential offenders than „domestics“. Summaries weiterlesen →

„Community Policing“
by Norbert Pütter
„Community Policing“ (CP) foresees the co-operation of the police and the community on a local level in order to solve security and crime problems together. Against the background of Anglo-American experiences, the author presents the central elements of CP and discusses the preconditions and consequences of community oriented police work. At first sight, CP seems to be a democratic and promising solution to the crises of the present police system. However, on closer scrutiny of certain aspects of CP, considerable problems begin to appear. The concept of „community“ is not adequately explained and it is not clear what the CP philosophy entails for the police force as a whole. The author concludes, that whilst democratic promises are not fulfilled, the establishment of CP exemplifies a new repressive control strategy which reacts to the dangers of the „risk society“. Summaries weiterlesen →

Growing Attractiveness of Youth, Violence and Criminality
by Helga Cremer-Schafer
Once again “experts” are calling for a mixture of toughness and the “outstretched hand” for juveniles and adolescents who are becoming increasingly prone to criminal behavior and violence. The author traces the contours of the perennially recurring moral panic. By defining juveniles as a dangerous group at risk of becoming criminals the proponents of such arguments are actively contributing to the de-politicization and personalization of social problems, as the author demonstrates. Summaries weiterlesen →

The Federal Bureau of Criminal Investigation
by Hartmut Aden
The article describes the development of the Federal Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BKA): Its initial function as a technology and information center continued to grow. And the agency achieved greater importance since the 70’s as a central investigating body. New patterns of cooperation such as Schengen and Europol have given new meaning to the role of the BKA of an intermediary body linking national activities with other international policing agencies. Summaries weiterlesen →

DNA-fingerprinting and DNA-databanks
by Detlef Nogala
By the end of this century DNA-analysis is playing the role in forensics that fingerprinting has had at the end of the last one. Police seems to hold an instrument in their hands, that not only speeds up investigations and convictions, but makes it more likely to solve a crime even when an actual suspect is missing. The advantages expected by the police are contrasted by the costs of the new technology, both in financial as in civil liberties terms, when genetic mass searches and forensic DNA-databanks are becoming more common. Summaries weiterlesen →

Modern Surveillance Technology
by Detlef Nogala
Bugging operations, forensic DNA-databases, video-surveillance of public space – ongoing debates in many countries about new police initiatives and accompanying legal extensions of authority point to the fact, that organised social control in late modern societies has become a matter of adopting new technology’s full potentials. This introductory article discusses some general theoretical aspects of the burgeoning use of surveillance technology in policing. In conclusion it is argued, that surveillance technology could not exclusively be seen from a instrumental point of view, but rather has to be considered as a genuine political matter because it carries certain visions of social order in itself. Summaries weiterlesen →

Schengen and its Consequences – a One-sided Success Story
by Heiner Busch
The interior borders will be done away with, the drop in security will by balanced – such is the basic logic of the Schengen Agreement. In reality, Schengen co-operation has only been a very one-sided success story. While the Schengen Executive Council continues to develop new security measures devoid of any parliamentary control, – the border controls within the Schengen Group continue to take place. Summaries weiterlesen →

An Editorial Comment
by Otto Diederichs
It is almost traditional the public discussion of crime rates and the war on crime are the exclusive realm of the political rightwing. Representative of the leftwing and the liberal elements of the political spectrum have traditionally proven themselves at a loss to cope with such questions and have generally limited their activities to little more than appeals or protests to uphold civil rights and liberal freedoms. The present issue of CILIP attempts to strengthen these voices and to formulate new policies on ‚Domestic Security‘ so direly needed at present against the popular current. Summaries weiterlesen →