Who Secures the Security? Perspectives on the Rise of Co-Created Security

Ensuring security is one of the key aspects of most states' policies. The current global security situation forces states to address this issue with greater urgency. Each state develops its security components based on its economy, personnel, and other possibilities, as well as by the approach it chooses to ensure security. Citizen involvement is essential; the only question is to what extent individual states will carry out this involvement. This possible involvement is influenced by several factors, including citizens' trust in the state, the state's economic and technical capabilities, and the general public's perception of the state's functioning among its citizens. This contribution aims to identify key aspects of the functioning of the so-called 'co-created security', which refers to the organized and deliberate involvement of citizens under the supervision of professional security forces. In this sense, co-created security presents a distinct contrast to the spontaneous establishment of paramilitary organizations, militias, and other entities that attempt to ensure security outside the official system, often without legal authority.