Law enforcement institutions perform highly segmented roles to facilitate the delivery of public security. In the broadest sense, the law enforcement sector may comprise:

• Community Police
• Investigations
• Border management services
• Penitentiary services
• State Emergency or Civil Protection services (if not managed as a separate agency)

The political management of law enforcement must incorporate a participatory dimension: police are at the frontline of engagement between citizens and security services. The responsiveness to the security needs of citizens will reflect the level of public trust in the organisation, the extent to which the needs of all members of society are addressed by security providers, and thus not only the effectiveness but the levels of transparency and accountability of security policy and practice.

As with the defence sector, ensuring the preparedness of all law enforcement services to perform their roles remains a resource-intensive process. The procurement of goods and services to meet targets established by the government policy must be transparent. Law enforcement sector personnel must also be accountable before the law for their actions.

Resources

OSCE, Police Reform within the Framework of Criminal Justice Reform, OSCE TNT/SPMU/Publication Series Vol 11, 2013.

OSCE, The Role of Capacity Building in Police Reform, 2006

UNODC, Handbook on Police Accountability, Oversight and Integrity, UNODC 2011

Pierre Aepli (ed.), Toolkit on Police Integrity, DCAF, 2012.