‘Niemand houdt van ons’

‘Nobody loves us’ – Police discourse on (the lack of) legitimacy This article analyzes the challenges faced by police professionals in Belgium, particularly in Brussels’ Region. It explores concepts such as public legitimacy and power holder legitimacy in the context of policing. Through qualitative methods, the experiences of police officers and of youngsters are examined. The findings reveal a crisis of legitimacy, both internally and externally, leading to doubts about their societal mandate. The research concludes that there is a need for a clear definition of the contemporary societal mandate of the police and that work on the legitimacy of the police must begin within the organization itself