Partnerships between police and science in Belgium: fragile alliances?
20 years of police reform seems to us to be an excellent moment to look back and find out what we can learn about partnerships between police and science in Belgium. Our contribution is based on (inter)national literature on the one hand and observations based on our experiences within the Centre for Policing and Security and the Innovation Network Iungos on the other. Our analysis shows that both partnerships have not been strengthened since the police reform in 1998 but, on the contrary, appear to be weakened. Indeed, both are subject to cultural tensions, a vulnerable institutional setting and fluctuating funding streams. Facing this reality in the Belgian context and naming the partnerships as fragile alliances provides a starting point to further reflect on how partnerships between police and science can be strengthened in our country in the future.