Samenvatting

This article is about digitalization and the police function. Digitalization has brought about changes that have significantly altered the playing field for the police function. Especially, actors outside the police function have gained additional opportunities to challenge or contribute to the legal order. This is due to changes in organizational capacity, information capacity and normative capacity. We provide examples of this by examining the influence of digitalization on crime and public order. This 'new' reality forces the police to reflect on their role. In this article, we offer several possible approaches to fuel further debate about the police function and the role that the police can or should play in it. These approaches include: 1) collaboration with citizens and private organizations, and regulating social control, 2) moving from investigation to an integral approach, and 3) ensuring legal protection by monitoring the use of new capabilities by citizens and organizations. These changes require a proactive approach to ensure and strengthen the effectiveness of the police function in the digital age.