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Co-opting Vigilantism: Government Response to Community Action for Personal Safety

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 November 2008

Uri Yanay
Uri Yanay
Affiliation:
Social Work, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
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Abstract

Securing the personal safety of citizens has traditionally been a state monopoly. However, increased fear of crime and victimization has produced individual and community actions to secure personal safety. This paper discusses the emergence and development of the community-initiated ‘Civil Guard’ in Israel, a sweeping movement which emerged in 1974 from a growing fear of terrorism. This grass roots initiative has raised government's concern over its ability to monitor, inspect and control the volunteers. The national police has co-opted the entire movement in three phases. In the first, a spontaneous emergence of self-help initiatives covered the country. Next, the movement was transformed into a national body of volunteers with a clear legal status, albeit under the complicated and joint auspices of the national police and local government. Finally the national police force co-opted the ‘Civil Guard’ into auxiliary units. What began as a neighborhood-based, self-help initiative was molded into a quasi-governmental, police-oriented voluntary organization.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Public Policy , Volume 13 , Issue 4 , October 1993 , pp. 381 - 396
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1993

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