Stability and crises in the Belgian police system (1830-2018)
In Belgium, the history of the police apparatus is divided in two contrasted periods. On the one hand, the police system designed after the 1830 Revolution is characterized by great stability over time, despite its limitations and criticism against it. On the other hand, from 1980 onwards, the situation changes: the Belgian police apparatus is facing increasingly strong criticism, which leads to a reform movement. It leads to a new situation. The reform movement is still going nowadays. This new security perspective is rooted in the heart of several dynamics. There is a transnational reforms dynamic, marked by the insecurity crisis. But it must also be understood within particular national context, relating to police dysfunctions and the federalization of Belgian institutions.