PhD defence M. (Mark) van der Giessen

Dissertation in short:

The co-creation of safety and security is a diverse, complex and persistent challenge that requires the simultaneous and continued engagement of many different actors. The purpose of this dissertation is to shed light on how these actors with their own needs and expectations may collaboratively foster safety and security. I consider two cases: local community policing involving the police and citizens; and the response of local inhabitants, professionals and international volunteers to a refugee crisis. The dissertation consists of four studies. In the first study I set the stage by providing a systematic literature review on the role of identity in cross-boundary collaboration. The second study sheds light on the importance of the social context in which engagement efforts take place, considering specifically community policing. In the third study I shift my attention to the process of fostering safety and security and elaborate how actors make sense of their role in the local response to a refugee crisis. In doing so, I explain why some ultimately choose to cooperate to address the plight of refugees whilst others distribute tasks or avoid responding altogether. Lastly, in the fourth study I return to the case of community policing and shed light on the needs and expectations of police and citizen actors for online engagement. Taken together, this dissertation contributes to our understanding of the role of different actors, contexts, processes and (online) tools in the co-creation of safety and security.