"The Patten Report and the light at the end of the tunnel: A comparative study of Anglo-Irish and Anglo-French cross-border policing"

Cannon, Mathew. (2001) "The Patten Report and the light at the end of the tunnel: A comparative study of Anglo-Irish and Anglo-French cross-border policing" . In European Union Studies Association (EUSA) > Biennial Conference > 2001 (7th), May 31-June 2, 2001, pages 20, Madison, Wisconsin.

Abstract

The recent publication of the Patten Report has focused attention on efforts to co-ordinate the policing of the Anglo-Irish border. The report calls for increased cross border policing and mentions Anglo-French police cooperation over the Channel Tunnel as a model for co-operative agreements between the Garda Síochána and the Royal Ulster Constabulary. Co-operation between authorities in the North and South of Ireland already exists, however that co-operation is largely informal, and a more institutionalised approach is called for by the Report. The emergence of meso-level policing in both areas plays an important role in understanding the comparative development of trans-national policing. The paper uses Anglo-Irish and Anglo-French police cooperation in order to create a comparative understanding cross-border policing. Using the model proposed by Benyon (1994), an examination of the levels of cross-border co-operation is made. The paper points towards the development of functional ties related to the emergence of meso-level as a key element in the success of Anglo-French co-ordination. Thus, successful co-operation across the Anglo-Irish border requires a more focused approach to co-ordination, which could create strong formal ties. These ties could then form the basis for the split-over into other areas of co-operation between police departments.