Samenvatting

This paper focusses on the cultural aspects of rural policing by analyzing the stories of rural police officers. It shows that some central elements can be found in these stories. The core element of these stories is the constructed contrast with the imagined urban police: the rural police are said to be better integrated in the local communities, have more personal and direct relations with citizens, and have other strategies to solve problems. Rural officers often feel that they are seen and treated as inferior police. In contrast to this image they emphasize that they are more competent and have better methods of policing than the urban police, by avoiding the use of violence and escalation. These stories are an important way to construct an identity as rural police. They become more manifest at the moments that the specific identity of the rural police is under threaten.