Discretion and digital tools in community-oriented policing: diverse styles of neighbourhood police officers in Belgium and the Netherlands

• In Event: Neighbourhood policing in transition: perspectives from the police and the public

Abstract

At the core of community-oriented policing lies the discretion of officers, which plays a vital role in fostering trust and addressing community concerns. This is clearly exemplified by the role of neighbourhood officers in Belgium and the Netherlands, who possess great discretionary powers. Their work is inherently autonomous, allowing them to determine their priorities and select their methods of engagement. A key discussion point in this study is how the increasing digitalization of policing impacts the discretionary power of these officers. This study explores how neighbourhood officers in Belgium and the Netherlands incorporate technology into their daily operations and how these tools influence their professional discretion.
Drawing on 545 hours of ethnographic fieldwork, the research develops a typology that highlights four distinct policing styles based on officers’ use of digital and analog approaches to store information and communicate with citizens. The findings challenge the assumption that technology necessarily constrains officer discretion. Instead, the findings highlight a dynamic and reciprocal relationship between discretion and technology, where digital tools influence officers' decision-making processes, while officers actively shape how these tools are utilized in practice. By conceptualizing these variations, this study provides new insights into the evolving role of technology in frontline policing and offers a framework for further research into the factors that mediate the relationship between discretion and digitalization in law enforcement.

Author

• Jasper De Paepe, Leiden University & Ghent University