Policing Vulnerable People in Island Contexts: Introduction to the Special Issue

This special issue is dedicated to research that contributes to understanding, improving, and critiquing the policing of vulnerable people in island contexts. Democratic policing values emphasise a human rights approach that protects all persons equally. Ideally, police are attentive to the potential for vulnerabilities in their interactions with all community members. For island jurisdictions, which are often culturally rich and beautiful places, various challenges can exist, such as resourcing limitations, relative isolation, and the legacies of colonisation and slavery, which impact approaches to policing. Reflecting southern criminology, islands are on the peripheries relative to the metropole. The articles of the special issue are drawn from islands of the Caribbean, the Pacific, Europe, and Southeast Asia. They contribute to island criminology by providing context-rich accounts of research on policing initiatives and critical analysis of harmful practices. They share new knowledge and raise important questions about policing vulnerable people in island contexts.