Clifford Shearing

Clifford Shearing is a Professor in the Institute for Humanities in Africa (HUMA), Faculty of Law, University of Cape Town, and Professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, at Griffith University, Australia. He was previously Chair of Criminology and Director of the Centre of Criminology in the Faculty of Law at the University of Cape Town. Professor Shearing has made many contributions to policy development for security strategy. He obtained a PhD in Sociology from the University of Toronto in 1977.

He is presently an advisor to the Government of the Western Cape on reshaping security governance in the Province and a member of the South African National Government’s Civilian Police Secretariat. Professor Shearing is an established scholar in the field of policing and security. His research and writing has focused on the development of theoretical understandings that can be used to enhance the quality of security and justice governance. A particular focus of his work has been contributing to the development of institutions and processes that improve the ability of poor collectivities to both direct and add value to their security and justice. He is currently undertaking research on environmental security.

Currently, Professor Shearing is participating in development of the security government proposals for the South African National Development Plan. In 2008, he was a member of the editorial panel that contributed to the South African National Science Plan developed as part of the Global Change Grand Challenge and he was also a member of the Jamaica Constabulary Force Strategic Review Panel. From 2003 until 2006 he directed a project an Australian Research Council Supported Project on nexus policing. In 2000, he led a project on community based security governance arrangements in Argentina supported by the Canadian government. Professor Shearing has also contributed to the development of a policing strategy with the Canadian Law Commission, and was a member of the Goldstone Commission Panel (established to develop strategies for policing South Africa’s first democratic elections), and from 1999-1999 had policy involvement as a Member of the Patten Commission (the Independent Commission on Policing in Northern Ireland).

He has published numerous accredited journal articles, book chapters and books.

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