Discretion and Digital Tools in Community-Oriented Policing: Diverse Styles of Neighbourhood Police Officers in Belgium and the Netherlands

Discretion and Digital Tools in Community-Oriented Policing: Diverse Styles of Neighbourhood Police Officers in Belgium and the Netherlands Officer discretion lies at the heart of community-oriented policing, playing a crucial role in building trust and responding to local concerns. Neighbourhood police officers in Belgium and the Netherlands exemplify this, operating with significant autonomy in setting priorities and choosing how to engage with the public. This article explores how such discretionary space is shaped by the increasing use of information and communication technology (ICT) in policing. While existing research often argues that digital tools constrain officer autonomy by automating decisions, standardizing procedures and reinforcing centralized control, our findings reveal a more nuanced reality. Drawing on 545 hours of ethnographic fieldwork, we show that neighbourhood police officers continue to exercise discretion in how, when and why they use technology. To capture this variation, we identify four distinct policing styles based on officers’ use of both digital and traditional methods for information management and citizen interaction. These styles challenge the assumption that technology inevitably limits discretion. Instead, they demonstrate a reciprocal relationship in which digitalization influences but does not displace discretionary practices. This suggests that the impact of technology is not uniform across policing roles. In neighbourhood policing, discretion remains a central feature, with officers actively shaping how digital tools are integrated into their work. This study contributes to the broader debate on digitalization in law enforcement by demonstrating the continued importance of discretion and underscoring the need to consider the diverse realities of police work when evaluating technological change.