Policing Disasters: The Role of Police in the Pre-Disaster Planning and Post-Disaster Responses

• Date: 29 October 2012
• Pages: 83-112
• Published date: 29 October 2012
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/S1521-6136(2012)0000017008
• Author: Sean P. Varano,Joseph A. Schafer

POLICING DISASTERS: THE ROLE

OF POLICE IN THE PRE-DISASTER

PLANNING AND POST-DISASTER

RESPONSES

Sean P. Varano and Joseph A. Schafer

ABSTRACT

Purpose This chapter provides an overview to the challenges of polic-

ing both natural and man-made disasters. Questions surrounding police

preparedness to respond to large-scale disasters as well as the causes of

failure are likely one of the single biggest system threats faced by police

today.

Design/methodology/approach The chapter starts out with a short

discussion about the important impact the 9/11 attacks as well as both

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita had on policing in the United States. The

materials presented also provide a conceptual framework for understand-

ing the meaning of “disasters,” as well as making sense of the effective-

ness of the police response. Finally, this chapter provides an overview

of the role of police in disasters, and more importantly, their role in

“creating order out of chaos” (Punch & Markham, 2000).

Disasters, Hazards and Law

Sociology of Crime, Law and Deviance, Volume 17, 83112

Copyright r2012 by Emerald Group Publishing Limited

All rights of reproduction in any form reserved

ISSN: 1521-6136/doi:10.1108/S1521-6136(2012)0000017008

83

Findings After more than 10 years of substantial attention to pro-

blems associated with responses to natural and man-made disasters, sig-

nificant barriers remain in the level of communication and coordination

among first responders. These barriers are best understood as cultural

and not technical in nature.

Originality/value of paper The conceptual role of police in both pre-

disaster planning and post-disaster responses has been largely ignored in

the literature. This chapter provides a strong framework for conceptual-

izing these roles. We argue that police, as core members of the first

responder system, must continue to break down cultural barriers that

diminish their capacities to effectively serve communities in the wake of

disasters.

INTRODUCTION

Policing as a Western social institution entered into a period of increased

institutional legitimacy in the late 1990s as violent crime rates were both

decreased dramatically and sustained after decades’ long increases. Ques-

tions about the legitimacy of police and their capacity to carry out their

most basic functions no longer dominated public discussion. The crime cri-

ses, it seemed, were largely under control

1

or at a minimum no longer cap-

tured the imagination of the public. The professionalization of policing

seemed to be largely achieved, and the notion that the “crime problem” is

something that could be addressed with deliberative public policy strategies

was accepted in many corners. Likely for the first time in history, many in

both the practitioner and academic communities began to believe that the

police really could reduce crime through the adoption of research-based

strategies. The manifestation and institutionalization of this belief are evi-

denced by the adoption of phrases like “evidence-based policing” that have

begun to dominate the policing landscape (Sherman, 1998).

However, the facade of professional mastery was challenged, and in a

big way, with the events of September 11th, 2001, and both Hurricanes

Katrina and Rita (August-September 2005). These events brought to light

the inherent challenges faced by police when responding to large-scale

disasters. More importantly, they sent the message that the public safety

community was ill prepared to carry out one of its most basic functions;

that is, to be an effective first line of defense when disaster strikes. The

September 11th attacks, for example, made it clear that the public safety

84 SEAN P. VARANO AND JOSEPH A. SCHAFER