Securing the City: Private Security Companies and Non-State Authority in                 Global Governance

Abrahamsen, Rita; Williams, Michael C.

doi:10.1177/0047117807077006

Cited by 80 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Importantly, as Abrahamsen and Williams note, this kind of privatization should not be seen as a retreat of the state. Rather, private security companies work in concert with the state and often draw their legitimacy partly—although not exclusively—from the state (Abrahamsen and Williams :238).…”

Section: Privatized Securitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Privatizing Security, Securitizing Policing: The Case of the G20 in Toronto, Canada

Kitchen

Rygiel

2014

Int Polit Sociol

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Allegations of police brutality, unlawful detention, and other breaches of civil liberties during the G20 in Toronto in June 2010 provide an important case through which to understand the changing nature of security and policing, raising questions about the political implications of such shifts in terms of police accountability, transparency, and democracy. Within the field of public policing, scholars predicted that globalization processes would weaken public policing as a dominant policing institution. Instead, it has expanded, in part, through the convergence of internal and international dimensions of security, whereby new policy networks cooperate in matters of policing and security in a new integrated model, the result of which is a further militarization of urban space and expanded markets for security, leading to the securitization of everyday life. This article examines the case of Toronto's hosting of the G20 and the role that the Integrated Security Unit-led by the RCMP and including private security firms-played. By focusing on the role of multilateral networks that include private sector actors, we examine the implications of the privatization and securitization of policing for democracy, citizenship, and accountability, looking at how they affect the ability of publics to engage in public debate, to consult, or to protest policies.The dominant images that emerged from the G20 Meeting in Toronto in June 2010 were not the traditional family photos of world leaders coming together to advance their global initiatives, but rather those of street protests and violence in the context of a massive security operation and allegations of police brutality, unlawful detention, and other breaches of civil liberties (Malleson and Wachsmuth 2011). Such scenes make the Toronto G20 an important case through which to understand both the changing nature of security-particularly in the post 9/11 period in which the market for security has grown-as well as the implications of a series of shifts in authority and governance for the nature of democracy and the urban citizen.Since the end of the Cold War, and more particularly since 9/11, scholars have observed that the distinction between inside and outside in international relations has blurred. As part of this transformation, within the area of security studies, Didier Bigo (2001) argues that the domains of internal policing and external defense are no longer separable, but instead merge into one another as part of a "M€ obius ribbon" of security networks. In this context, ideas about the meaning of security and the identities of enemies are no longer clear. Similarly, 1 We would like to thank John Zelenbaba, Rhys Machold, and Jesse Maclean, who provided research assistance for this paper.Kitchen

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Section: Privatized Securitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Privatizing Security, Securitizing Policing: The Case of the G20 in Toronto, Canada

Kitchen

Rygiel

2014

Int Polit Sociol

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“…You pay us and we give you protection” (10 May 2005). These privatized armed forces, which amplify and commodify the fear and fortification of elite neighborhoods, play an increasingly important role in urban governance (Abrahamsen and Williams ).…”

Section: Residents’ Associations and Gated Communitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rescaling White Space in Post‐apartheid Johannesburg

Clarno

2013

Antipode

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This paper traces three political mobilizations in the wealthy suburbs of Johannesburg: a boycott of redistributive tax policies, the creation of gated communities and residents' associations, and the demand for residential city improvement districts (CIDs). I argue that state rescaling and networked governance are constituted through struggles over governmental power. I also argue for more attention to race in the political economy of scale. Struggles over the scalar, networked, and territorial dimensions of governance are constitutive moments in the shifting articulation of race, class, and space. An analysis of articulation highlights the role of territory, identity and imagination in the production of space, demonstrates that neoliberal forms of networked governance are products of struggle, and reiterates the feminist argument that governmental interventions are about more than just capital accumulation.

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“…In fact, hiring private security is a now considered a standard practice for many companies. Non-state authorities help regulate and change existing trade activities and practices so that they correspond with dominant economic standards (Abrahamsen and Williams 2007). Advanced economies like the United States have started to recommend that ships embark with private security guards on board, as they may deter pirates from attacking (Miller 2010).…”

Section: Online Privacy Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Piracy in the Horn of Africa and its effects on the global supply chain

Sullivan

2010

J Transp Secur

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This article explores how maritime piracy impacts international business and disrupts the global supply chain. Piracy has increased exponentially near the Horn of Africa and this article examines the vessels attacked, methods of attack, and the types of weapons used by the Somali pirates. Evaluated are current anti-piracy measures that are used by commercial vessels to prevent and defend against pirate attacks. There is a symbiotic relationship between globalization and technology and if the increase in piracy continues, it will adversely disrupt this dependency.

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Securing the City: Private Security Companies and Non-State Authority in Global Governance

Cited by 80 publications

References 12 publications

Privatizing Security, Securitizing Policing: The Case of the G20 in Toronto, Canada

Privatizing Security, Securitizing Policing: The Case of the G20 in Toronto, Canada

Rescaling White Space in Post‐apartheid Johannesburg

Piracy in the Horn of Africa and its effects on the global supply chain

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