Local security plans: insights on their impacts on Police Institution

The 1998 Belgian Police reform, which took place in a national and global context of crisis, implemented a global and integrated security policy. This is structured around the local security plans which are defined and developed in each police area of Belgium every four years. Those determine some security priorities in a strategic view. The security policy is based on deeply-anchored philosophy and principles. In a sociological and qualitative approach (analysis of literature, semi-structured and in-depth interviews with the key actors, observation), based on five case studies, the research analyses the translation of official speeches in current police practices. It focuses particularly on; the consultation planned by the law and involving different actors (the head of the police, the local administration authorities, the public prosecutor and a representative of the federal police); the managerial requirements, imposed on the police through the security policy; and the population link which is extensively pursued through the local security policy, especially with the community policing model, recommended by law. Regarding the dynamic of consultation, the first empirical evidence points out some failings and, especially, the monopoly of the police in the debates on the security policy. The local security plans are at the heart of the police institution and organise the police work. They are thereby a very interesting point of view to study the impacts of the policies on the police institution and, beyond, on society in general.