Emulating Police Interaction Ritual in Cyberspace: Apparent Challenge in Policing the Internet

In crime prevention, police presence symbolizes a capable guardian according to routine activity and deterrence theories. This presence deters and combats crime in the physical world through micro-level, face-to-face interactions between police and the public, serving as an indicator of social order. However, with the emergence of complex networks of computer technology and data systems, new 'spaces' have been constructed that challenge traditional conceptions of physical space. This paper explores the challenges of policing in a digital world. It assesses the problem of delegating police persona as a "de-facto" law enforcer in cyberspace where presence is distorted, analyzes how police can "appear" in cyberspace to prevent crime and conduct policing, and evaluates the effectiveness of these measures compared to their presence in the physical world. Ultimately, when confronted with the difficulties inherent in being present in an abstract world, the police must constantly adapt to the changing landscape while adhering to principles that define policing as activities reinforcing social order. As technology advances, it will provide a considerably more complicated challenge for the police to anticipate and design solutions.