Speaking truths to power: Policy ethnography and police reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina

This book presents a rigorous and original account of the effects of globalization on local policing structures, mentalities, and practices in a transitional, post-conflict society. It situates the phenomenon of "glocal policing" in relation to the convergence of development and security discourses following the collapse of the Soviet Union and raises important questions about the purpose and value of "Northern" criminological engagement with transitional policing as a field of scholarship, policy, and practice. The idea of "speaking truths to power" (as opposed to a single "truth") is illustrated with two case studies of police capacity building projects that were implemented by international organizations at the time of the author"s fieldwork in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2011. The case studies indicate that global inequalities and discursive imbalances affect police reform projects but that nodal opportunities do exist for seemingly disempowered stakeholders to exercise reflexivity and use their available power resources to mitigate structural harms and render their work responsive to the needs of policy recipients. This mediatory role is analysed through the conceptual lens of "policy translation" which provides an innovative framework for interpreting how policy meaning and content are altered as a result of their transmission between contexts. Ultimately, the book concludes that it is time for Northern criminologists to move beyond broad structural critiques of transnational policing power by immersing themselves within these fields. This is essential for ensuring that their criticisms adequately reflect the diverse interests, experiences, and understandings of their research participants.