Technology in the Belgian local police: Further dissemination?
This article presents the results of the second wave of a survey on the use of technology by the local
police in Belgium (the first wave was distributed by Rooseleers and Maesschalck in 2020). The first part
gives an overview of the availability and use of 64 technologies in 146 (of 183, hence 79,8%) local police
forces in 2023. The results confirm the availability and use of a broad range of different technologies.
They also show that the distribution of some of these technologies is impacted by the size of the police
force and/or the region (Flanders or Wallonia). The second part compares the results of the availability of
36 technologies in 2020 and 2023 for the 67 local police forces that participated in both waves. We note
an increase in the availability of cameras and of platforms that allow for interaction with the public. The
article concludes with some ideas for further research and recommendations for police practice.