A New Security Landscape

As we enter 2025, it marks ten years since the establishment of the Nordic Journal of Studies in Policing (NJSP). The journal was founded with the explicit aim of creating a platform for Nordic police research. Over these ten years, we have published 84 research articles, and an increasing number of researchers have engaged with the journal, both as authors and, importantly, in the vital role of reviewing submissions. At the time of writing, we have more submitted articles in the review process than we have had in a considerable period, which is highly encouraging and indicative of the vibrant and expanding field of police science research. Thus, the journal can be said to have more than fulfilled its initial ambitions of fostering dialogue among researchers with interests in policing and of consolidating and supporting Nordic police research.

With the onset of 2025, new challenges emerge. Each Nordic country faces its own domestic issues, which must now also be considered in light of the new global context. The reconfiguration of international security alliances, geopolitical transformations, and the retreat from the “rules-based international order” will inevitably impact police work across all Nordic nations. Both external and internal security are continuously being tested and reevaluated at local, national, and international levels, leading to new questions and challenges for police science research.

In this context, police science and research activities involving and concerning the police are more crucial than ever. The necessity of maintaining a vital dialogue across borders, involving both scholars and professionals, is a fundamental prerequisite for formulating relevant research questions. Against this backdrop, we would like to draw your attention to three activities planned for 2025. First, an upcoming Special Issue of NJSP:

Call for abstracts: Special Issue of the Nordic Journal of Studies in Policing Today and Tomorrow: Police Science in the Nordic Countries

Deadline for abstracts: 15 May 2025

And second, a conference:

The Nordic Police Research Seminar, Malmö 19–21 August 2025, arranged by the Department of Police Work at Malmö University. The Nordic Police Research Seminar is an interdisciplinary conference that brings together researchers in different fields of science, but has a common focus on issues related to the police organization, operations and training.

And a third activity:

In 2025, the School of Police Studies at Södertörn University will celebrate its 10th anniversary. This will be marked by a number of different scientific activities during the first week of December. Keep an eye on the School of Police Studies at Södertörn University website for more information.

We wish to take this opportunity to extend our sincere gratitude to Professor Linda Hoel for her invaluable contributions as Editor-in-Chief of the journal over the past two years. Her dedication and leadership have profoundly enriched our scholarly community, and we look forward to her continued influence in the field.