Book presentation: The Police, the State and the Congo Cop
Speaker: Mich Thill | Discussant: Kristof Titeca
Abstract
This open access book offers the first full-length, empirical deep-dive into everyday policework in the Democratic Republic of Congo. At the same time, its findings go well beyond the DRC and Africa, ultimately providing a nuanced theoretical framework for understanding what police practice and reform efforts tell us about states anywhere in the world. Following officers from the classroom to the station and the street, Michel Thill offers five narrative-driven chapters rich with historical detail and thick description that show how the police force, as an institution, struggles to coordinate practice with training, coercion with persuasion and reconciliation, and the need to make ends meet with the duty to serve the public. By delving into the convoluted repercussions of police reform, Thill identifies the tensions that shape everyday policework, thereby offering new ways of thinking about police reform while offering practical guidance for practitioners and policymakers.
Bio
Michel Thill is a Senior Program Officer with swisspeace, a research and practice institute dedicated to peacebuilding. His research and writing explore everyday security and order-making processes, and how global policy translates into local practice, with a particular focus on the DR Congo. Michel holds a PhD in Political Science from Ghent University.
