Samenvatting

After World War I, the Dutch police, inspired by the German example, underwent a fast modernisation of its organisation. Two generations of police officers were the pacesetters in this reform. Technological innovations made them realize that the effectiveness of the police could be increased, that they had acquired the status of professionals, thanks to their new insights, and that professional thieves were their main enemies. During the 1930s, the police renewal stagnated, but the ties with Germany were not broken. Based on shared beliefs, some innovators rallied to the side of the German occupiers during World War II. In the end, the renewal movement did not recover from the experiences during the occupation.