Adapting to Climate Change in Modern Policing The Rise of the "Eco-Cop"

This open access brief explores the profoundly accelerating impact of climate change on law enforcement globally. Drawing on the concept of climatisation, it examines how, on one hand, rising temperatures, extreme weather events, resource scarcity, and sustainability transitions pose new challenges for the evolving role of law enforcement in a changing climate. On the other, these developments also present opportunities to adapt and transform the ways the police do policing. 

This book builds on the author’s earlier research into the impact of climate change on police work. It combines interdisciplinary research and 23 expert interviews to systematize current knowledge in the field. The aim is to provide a comprehensive understanding of how climate change intersects with policing at societal, organizational, and individual levels. This volume is ideal for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers working at the intersection of climate change and policing.

Chapter 1. Introduction.- Chapter 2. Setting the scene.- Chapter 3. The changing landscape of crimes and harms.- Chapter 4. Feeling the heat.- Chapter 5. Policing civil disobedience.- Chapter 6. Policing disasters.- Chapter 7. Green organisational reset .- Chapter 8. Resilience and adaptive policing .- Chapter 9. Eco-cops.- Chapter 10. Conclusions.

Anna Matczak is a Senior Lecturer in Comparative Criminology, Safety & Security Management Programme, and a Researcher at the Centre of Expertise Global & Inclusive Learning at The Hague University of Applied Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. from the Department of Sociology at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She has authored and co-authored a number of publications in the field of restorative justice, and more recently on the impact of climate change on police professional practice. She has worked with the Dutch Police on issues related to sustainability and the policing of environmental crimes.