The term "polycrisis" reflects the complexity of modern challenges, where issues in one area can have cascading effects across different domains, making effective response and resolution more intricate. In an environment of escalating risks and interconnected nature of various crises, and where the interaction of disparate crises means that the overall impact far exceeds the sum of each part, polycrises are emerging predominantly due to five main risk types: Economic, Geopolitical, Environmental, Societal and Technological. These categories are not mutually exclusive; crises often intersect and exacerbate one another.
As part of an endeavour in support of the International Action Learning Group (IALG) “Pearls in Policing”, Frontex provides an analysis of polycrises in relation to policing and border security, and assesses their impact on trust, legitimacy, human capital, and emerging technologies in these domains.
Trust in policing and border security is a crucial factor in both domestic and international contexts. When a community trusts its police, community members are more likely to cooperate, share information, and collaborate with law enforcement. Without trust, policing becomes difficult and hinders the effectiveness of both crime prevention and law enforcement efforts. Police legitimacy is the foundation of all policing organisations in a democratic society. Without legitimacy, which relies heavily on public trust and acceptance by the community and key actors, police and law enforcement agencies cannot perform their mandated role effectively.
The study serves as a baseline for global law enforcement organisations to review, evaluate and anticipate polycrises effectively and leverage solutions to mitigate their effects.
You will find more information in the dedicated video and in the final report from the research containing general findings and findings corresponding to trust and legitimacy, human capital, and emerging technologies.