Species justice for police eagles: analyzing the Dutch 'flying squad' and animal-human relations. Issue 1 (2nd January 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gacek, James
• Is Part Of: Contemporary justice review. Volume 21:Issue 1(2018)
• Page Start: 2
• Page End: 15
• Publication Date: 2018-01-02
• Subjects: Eagles -- green criminology -- critical security studies -- species justice; Criminology -- Periodicals; Social justice -- Periodicals; Restorative justice -- Periodicals; Environmental policy -- Periodicals; 364
• DOI: 10.1080/10282580.2017.1413361
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1028-2580

Abstract

Abstract: Dutch national police recently became the world's first force to train eagles to combat the growing rise of drones within the Netherlands. Partnering with an eagle-training security firm, Guard From Above, both organizations believe using eagles to intercept and retrieve drones is the most effective countermeasure to handle rogue drones in the skies. This paper questions whether such a police operation to increase air security respects the rights of the eagles and ensures the animals' protection from unreasonable injury, harm and suffering. Such an examination lies at the intersection of green criminological perspectives and critical security studies' scholarship, an intersection of which I consider more thoroughly. By implementing a qualitative media analysis, this paper examines twenty media reports detailing the facts of the Dutch 'Flying Squad.' I contend that police agencies in the West must seriously consider such eagle initiatives as intrusive, harmful practices. The findings suggest that conceptualizing the eagles as exceptional 'biotechnological' state agents may increase sky security in Western countries, but such anthropocentric logics of security minimize the concerns for 'species justice' and the safeguards for eagles.