Samenvatting

This article focuses on the question whether the nodal governance perspective is a useful and insightful instrument to analyse the growing involvement and responsibilities of a multitude of public and private actors in creating public safety and security. Subsequently the author applies the basics of nodal governance to experiences with local security networks in the Netherlands. His conclusion is that the nodal governance perspective has a number of shortcomings. One of these is an underestimation of the crucial role of the police in local security networks. Also, important obstacles to civilian participation in security networks are overlooked. Moreover, the nodal governance thinking doesn't deal with the problem of democratic control of private actors involved in security networks and the absence of guarantees that they will pursue security not only for themselves but for the community as a whole.