Police empowerment and police militarisation in times of protracted conflict: Examining public perceptions in southern Somalia

Residents of Kismayo, Somalia choose to empower local police with greater discretionary authority. Why is this so? Can police militarisation encourage such public views? Relying on a new dataset on community perceptions and qualitative field interviews, this study examines the relationship between perceived police militarisation and police empowerment in a society that has experienced prolonged conflict and currently faces an active insurgent threat. Despite the poor record of police militarisation in western democracies, this study's quantitative findings suggest that the more visible dimensions of police militarisation (material and cultural) are significantly related to greater public support for police empowerment in southern Somalia. Specifically, field interviews reveal that the symbolic appearance of militarisation and the accompanying hierarchical discipline and formalism convey a level of preparedness and professionalism that encourages residents to willingly empower police. Furthermore, results also suggest that clan representation within the force is significantly associated with police empowerment.