Here are some ways police can support authoritarianism

Timothy Synder: Be reflective if you must be armed. If you carry a weapon in public service, may God bless you and keep you. But know that evils of the past involved policemen and soldiers finding themselves, one day, doing irregular things. Be ready to say no.

Editor: Police forces can align with authoritarian governments in various ways, often by shifting their focus from serving the public and upholding the rule of law to maintaining the regime's power and managing dissent.

Here are some ways police can support authoritarianism:

• Serving government interests: In authoritarian regimes, enforcement may prioritize the government's interests over protecting citizens and ensuring security.

• Arbitrary use of force: Authoritarian police may not always adhere to the rule of law and might exercise coercion in exceptional and arbitrary ways without external accountability.

• Managing internal threats: These regimes rely on police and internal security forces to manage dissent and control the population, potentially minimizing the military's domestic role to limit its influence.

• Politicization and loyalty: Key police leaders may be replaced with government allies, opposing figures removed, and secret police forces established to monitor other branches.

• Prioritizing loyalty: Police recruitment in authoritarian states might emphasize loyalty to the regime, with promotions based on political affiliations or connections within the government.

• Incentivizing loyalty: Authoritarian governments might offer better pay, benefits, and leniency towards corruption for police and military personnel to secure their support and cooperation.

• Relocating officers: Deploying police to unfamiliar regions can reduce personal ties that could conflict with enforcing directives.

• Use of surveillance and AI: Advanced surveillance technologies and AI systems may be used to monitor citizens and manage dissent.

• Selective enforcement: Pervasive surveillance can enable targeted enforcement, while weak accountability mechanisms can contribute to corruption and lack of law adherence.

It is important to note that elements of authoritarian policing can also emerge in democratic states through political processes, societal demands for security, and electoral strategies. Police reform may be election-sensitive, favoring the continuation of existing practices unless there is a convergence of societal preferences and strong political opposition to counterbalance the structural power of the police. 

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