Controlling the Unwanted: Zero tolerance policies in North Bohemia

ControllingtheUnwanted:
ZerotolerancepoliciesinNorth
Bohemia
LucieTrlifajová
CharlesUniversityinPrague,FacultyofSocialSciences,
DepartmentofPublicandSocialPolicy
ZerotoleranceintheCZ
•  LocalpolicyapproachesintroducedinseveralCzechtownsinpast
10years,mainlyinsociallyandeconomicallydeprivedregions
•  OJentargetedtowards“sociallyexcluded”locali/es,localiKeswith
highproporKonofRomainhabitants
•  Varyingcontent–frompopulistproclamaKontocomplexsystems
mergingsecurityandsocialpolicies
•  BoPom-up(local)formulaKon(forex.minimalknowledgeofthe
NewYorkcitypolices,minimaltheoreKcalanchoring)
•  CasestudyofLitvínov(2007)–zerotoleranceasamanualto
resolveworseningsocio-economicsituaKonandrisingsocial
tensions
Litvínov,Janov
•  Janov-largest“sociallyexcluded”localityintheCZ(app.6000
inhabitants,majority-butnotall–ofRomaethnicity)(2015
mapping,Gabal2015)
•  RapidandstronglyperceivedsocialandeconomicaldegradaKon
since1990saPributedto(Roma)“newcommers”
•  PrivaKzaKonofhousingfund+lowemploymentpossibiliKes
–  outmigraKonofskilledximmigraKoneconomicallymarginalised,less
educatedfamillies,mostlyRoma,
–  changingdemographicprofile(seniorsxyoungfamiliesofnewcomers)
•  ExtremelylowlevelofpoliKcalparKcipaKon
–  15%inJanovcomparedto32%,resp.35%intheLitvínovaswhole
(2001and2014municipalelecKon,Czechsta/s/caloffice)
•  RetrenchmentoflocalinsKtuKons-police,socialdepartment
•  WorseninginterethnicrelaKons
IntroducKonofZerotolerance
•  Localan3-Romademonstra3ons(2008)asapretext
–  OrganizedbyfarrightWorkersparty
–  SeveralhundredparKcipants,includinglocalnon-Romainhabitants
„Thespeakerscri/sedgovernment,thattheyforceCzechtolivewithgypsies–
insteadofteachinggypseistolivewithCzechs.Theyaccusedthemunicipalityof
Litvinívtheytheywerenotprotec/ngthenon-gypsyinhabitantsofJanov,that
theyhadfailedinJanov”(Workersparty,officialresumeoftheevents)
•  NaKonwidemediaandpoliKcalaPenKon
•  DemandforrapidpoliKcalresponse
•  Municipalpolicyresponse–zerotolerance
–  AccepKngWorkerspartydefiniKonoftheproblem-reframingthesituaKonas
aproblem”inadaptable”newcomers
„Thesitua/oninJanovisanoutcomeoftherisingnumberofsociallyweak
familiesandinadaptableinhabitants.(…)thenewcomersarenotaccep/ngthe
ruleofdecentbehavior,theyarebreakingthelaws,thehygienicnorminflats
andhouses,theyaredestroyingthehouses.Forthisreasonthegovernmentof
Janovdecidedtointroducedstrictmeasures,tointroduceso-calledzero
tolerance”(M.Šťovíček,citymajor)
–  VisiblemeasurestowardsonegroupserveasapoliKcalcontestaKonofthe
(local)governmentsabilitytoactandturnstheaPenKonawayofprevious
policyfailures
•  Centralityoftheterm“inadaptable”
–  ImplicitunderstandingthatitconcernsRoma
--allowstoplayontheracistnoteandavoidaccusaKonsofbeingracist
–  VaguelydefinedcategoryevokingparKcularundesirablebehavior
--legiKmizeintroducKonofspecialmeasurestowardsthosemarkedas
“inadaptable”
•  Impactonthefocusofthepolicies(problemdefiniKon)
–  Explicit:Restoringofpublicorder,reducKonofcriminalityandmisuseofsocial
benefits,controlof(perceived)migraKon
–  ImplicitfocusofRomainhabitants,expulsionof“problemaKc”families,
establishmentofsocialandpolicecontrolovertheneighborhood
kontrola
heren
kontrola
vlastnictvíaut
upříjemců
dávek
specifický
režimu
dávekna
bydlení
exekuce
asistenK
prevence
kriminality
sociální
bydlení
projekty
zaměstnan
osK
kontrola
domácnosv
sdětmi
kontrola
záškoláctví
kontrola
(omezení)
pohybu
občanůEU
zvýšená
akKvitapolice,
dohledové
služby
kamerový
systém
splátkové
kalendáře
prodluhy
vůčiměstu
mapování
jakokontrola
hlášeného
pobytu,smluv
kontrola
prostorv
domech
(hasiči)
proKdluhov
áporadna
opatření
proKjízdě
načernov
MHD
příměstské
tábory
nízkopraho
výklub
odstranění
laviček
zákaz
sezenía
vynášení
předmětů
terenní
pracovníciv
Janvově
mapování
jako
nabídka
služeb
kontrola
výkupu
šrotu
Obyvatelé
Janova
sousedský
dohled
Mainmeasures
•  “Mapping”
–  IniKalcontrolof“all”apartmentsinJanov(2008/2009)–4521inhabitnats
–  Databasesharedbetweenpolicesandsocialdepartment
–  Regularlyupdated
–  Impressionofregainedcontroloverthelocality
•  Surveillanceandlimita3onsonusageofpublicspace
–  Newfocus:“inadaptable”behaviorinpublicspace–redefini3onofthe
behaviorof“decentci3zen”
–  IncreasedpatrollingofMunicipalPolicexspecialmeasures
–  Involvementoflocal(non-Roma)inhabitants(“Osadnívýbor”)inthecontrols
–  Caseexample:removalofbenchesandconsequentintroducKonoflocal
regulaKonforbiddingtositinpublicspace
(forbiddenare)“ac/viteswhichmaydisrupttheorderandbeinconflictwith
goodmannersandsecurity,healthandpropertyprotec/on(…)placingobjects
usedforleisurerecrea/on(benches,smallbenches,chairs,sofas,tablesand
otherpeacesoffurniture)(…)inpublicspaces(…)siTngoncontruc/onobjects
andwhichwerenotmeantforthispurpose(palisade,smallwalls,stairs,(…)
•  Targetedcontrolanddisciplina3on
–  Controlof„inadaptable”behavior,educaKonof“inadaptableinhabitants”
–  SocialservicesinsKtuKonsturnedintosocialcontrolandrepression
–  Highmediacoverage–self-confirmingimageofRomaascriminals
–  Revokingofsocialbenefitswherepossible–targetedcontrols,immigraKon
status,workfare
–  Controlofyouthandfamilieswithchildren(NighthouseholdinspecKonsby
socialdepartmentandMunicipalPolice)
–  Municipaldepthcollectors-usingsocialassistanceasameanofcontrol
(enforcedpaymentoffines)
–  CondiKonaltransiKonalhousing,youthfreeKmeacKvitesorganisedbypolice
–  Etc.
Outcomes
•  Zerotolerancepoliciesdidnotslowdowntheprocessessocial
exclusionandsocialandspaKalpolarizaKon
–  Nosignificanteffectonrecordedcriminality
–  (Rising?)internalmigraKonxoutmigraKonofpeoplewithhighersocialcapital
–  ConKnuousdegradaKonofneighborhood(xEUfinancedprojectsof
reconstrucKonofpublicspace)
x
•  Strongself-idenKficaKonwiththemeasuresbylocaladministraKon
–  ImpressionofhavingsomepoweroverthesituaKon
•  NegaKve“sideeffects”
–  MistrustofauthoriKesbyRoma,selfpercepKonassecondclassciKzens
–  EthnicizaKonoftheproblemcontributestothenegaKvestereotypesand
furthersKgmaKzaKonofRoma
–  Ethnictension,furtherpolarizaKonofthelocality/city
Conclusion
Zerotolerancepoliciesareasetofmeasuresthataremostlyconcentratedon
lawenforcementcateringtopopularanK-RomasenKments.Assuchtheyare
aPracKveformunicipaliKesdisproporKonallyeffectedbythenegaKve
outcomespost-89transformaKon.
•  DisKncKonof“good”and“undeserving”ciKzens
–  Categoriesof“decentciKzen”and“inadaptableinhabitants”
–  Hierarchiesofright,righttohaveright
•  ContesKngsociallyexcludedlocalityasa“placesofexcep3on”
–  SpecialregimesofcontrolanddisciplinaKonxexpulsion
–  Newmodesofcontrol–mergingsecurityandsocialpolicies(social
panopKcism?)
•  Zerotoleranceasanexampleofsecuri3za3onofsocialexclusion-?
–  SubordinaKonofsocialpolicytothelogicofcontrolandrepression
–  CriminalizaKonofpoverty(?)
–  WiderdefiniKonofsecurity–cultural(behaviourinpublicspace)andsocial
(perceivedwelfarecheaters)treats
ThankyouforyouraKen3on
LucieTrlifajova–lucie.trlifajova@gmail.com