Countering Drug Trafficking at the Port of Rotterdam: Plural Policing Cooperation in Information Sharing

Drug trafficking continues to pose complex security and safety challenges to critical infrastructures that exceed individual capacities of institutions and instead, require collaborative solutions. The following research investigates how plural policing cooperation is employed to tackle drug trafficking at the Port of Rotterdam, with a specific focus on information sharing. Drawing upon van Steden’s (2021) network analysis framework, a single case study was conducted to create a unique network profile of information sharing cooperation at the Port of Rotterdam and position it within the broader theoretical debate between three approaches to cooperation: nodal governance (Johnston & Shearing, 2003), anchored pluralism (Loader & Walker, 2007), and directed governance (Boutellier & van Steden, 2011). The findings reveal that the information sharing cooperation at the Port of Rotterdam might be best understood as a hybrid model consisting of elements of directed and nodal governance...Show moreDrug trafficking continues to pose complex security and safety challenges to critical infrastructures that exceed individual capacities of institutions and instead, require collaborative solutions. The following research investigates how plural policing cooperation is employed to tackle drug trafficking at the Port of Rotterdam, with a specific focus on information sharing. Drawing upon van Steden’s (2021) network analysis framework, a single case study was conducted to create a unique network profile of information sharing cooperation at the Port of Rotterdam and position it within the broader theoretical debate between three approaches to cooperation: nodal governance (Johnston & Shearing, 2003), anchored pluralism (Loader & Walker, 2007), and directed governance (Boutellier & van Steden, 2011). The findings reveal that the information sharing cooperation at the Port of Rotterdam might be best understood as a hybrid model consisting of elements of directed and nodal governance approaches. Directed governance was identified in aspects such as the layered structure of cooperation, the coordinating role of the Police, and state-driven regulation. On the other hand, nodal governance characteristics were found in different aspects of everyday cooperation dynamics. Such research findings enhance the theoretical understanding of plural policing by demonstrating that different approaches to cooperation are not necessarily mutually exclusive, but can coexist within one context. The research also identifies best cooperation practices in the port and the biggest challenges still to overcome, providing a foundation for strengthening information sharing as a measure against drug trafficking.Show less

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Countering Drug Trafficking at the Port of Rotterdam: Plural Policing Cooperation in Information Sharing