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The Dutch police system has been under pressure during the last decades. Critical debates focused on police' dealing with the growing (perceived) insecurity, the administrative problems of size and efficiency, the core tasks of the police, the distribution of power over the police and it's accountability. These issues have become even more relevant since integrated local safety policies have been developed to tackle public safety problems by the police together with more and different partners, within government or even outside of it. At the same time the national government wants to direct its local and regional partners more, while holding on to local performance. The aim of this article is to show the developments of the last decades that have influenced the (re)organization of the police and the way they are steered and democratically controlled. Police forces are now closely cooperating with other actors in rather complex safety networks, steered by local government and concentrating on their core tasks, leaving more tasks to other actors than in the past. Finding sensible balances between centrally organized tasks and variants of steering (direction), and more local organization and steering (discretion) will be crucial for the future of the public police.

In many European countries mayors are local political leaders. Dutch mayors, however, are neither local nor political, as national government appoints them. Their office is subject to serious changes. While it still carries a lot of 'natural' authority, its content has changed rather drastically. In this article we first of all give an overview of the mayoral office in Western Europe and sketch the Dutch mayorship. The next step is to discuss recent developments: councils gaining influence on the actual mayoral selection, mayors getting more legal capacities and responsibilities, and society demanding stronger (mayoral) leadership. We will explore the ways present mayors cope with the emerging tensions between these developments, and between the responses to them. The focus is on tensions between the various developments and the risks the mayorship runs.

In many European countries mayors are local political leaders. Dutch mayors, however, are neither local nor political, as national government appoints them. Their office is subject to serious changes. While it still carries a lot of 'natural' authority, its content has changed rather drastically. In this article, the researchers first of all give an overview of the mayoral office in Western Europe and sketch the Dutch mayorship. The next step is to discuss recent developments: councils gaining influence on the actual mayoral selection, mayors getting more legal capacities and responsibilities, and society demanding stronger leadership. They will explore the ways present mayors cope with the emerging tensions between these developments, and between the responses to them. The focus is on tensions between the various developments and the risks the mayorship runs. Adapted from the source document.

Intro -- COVER -- TABLE OF CONTENTS -- PREFACE -- CHAPTER 1: WHY STUDY CHANGES IN POLICE SYSTEMS? THE FOCUS OF THIS STUDY -- 1 INTRODUCTION -- 2 THE OBJECT OF THIS RESEARCH: POLICE SYSTEMS -- 3 THE AIM OF THIS RESEARCH -- 4 CENTRAL RESEARCH QUESTION -- 5 CHOICE OF THE COUNTRIES -- 6 RESEARCH DESIGN -- 7 COLLABORATION -- 8 RESEARCH PERIOD -- 9 THE STRUCTURE OF THIS STUDY -- CHAPTER 2: COMPARING AND ANALYSING CHANGES IN POLICE SYSTEMS: TOWARDS A FRAMEWORK -- 1 INTRODUCTION -- 2 THE RATIONAL PERSPECTIVE -- 3 THE SOCIETAL PERSPECTIVE -- 4 THE POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE -- 5 PRESSURES FROM WITHIN: THE PURSUIT OF PROFESSIONALISM -- 6 SYSTEM DYNAMICS -- 7 FINALLY -- CHAPTER 3: THE POLICE SYSTEM IN BELGIUM: UNIFIED THROUGH CRISIS -- 1 INTRODUCTION -- 2 BELGIUM AS STATE -- 3 CONTEMPORARY POLICE SYSTEM -- 4 HISTORY OF THE CURRENT BELGIAN POLICE SYSTEM -- 5 CURRENT POLICE SYSTEM: AN EVALUATION -- 6 PROSPECTS FOR THE NEAR FUTURE -- 7 SUMMARY -- CHAPTER 4: THE POLICE SYSTEM IN DENMARK: TOWARDS A COMPLETION OF THE NATIONAL POLICE -- 1 INTRODUCTION -- 2 THE STATE AND LEGAL SYSTEM -- 3 CURRENT POLICE SYSTEM OF DENMARK -- 4 HISTORY OF THE POLICE SYSTEM -- 5 EVALUATION OF THE CURRENT POLICE SYSTEM -- 6 FUTURE PROSPECTS -- CHAPTER 5: THE POLICE SYSTEM IN ENGLAND & -- WALES: A NEW ERA IN POLICING -- 1 INTRODUCTION -- 2 THE STATE STRUCTURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM -- 3 THE ORGANISATION AND STRUCTURE OF POLICING IN ENGLAND & -- WALES -- 4 DEMOCRATIC STEERING AND CONTROL OF THE POLICE: THE TRIPARTITE STRUCTURE -- 5 RECENT THEMES IN POLICE REFORM IN ENGLAND & -- WALES -- 6 ASSESSING POLICE REFORMS -- 7 FUTURE PROSPECTS -- 8 SUMMARY -- CHAPTER 6: THE POLICE SYSTEM IN GERMANY: POLICE ORGANISATION, MANAGEMENT AND REFORM IN NORTH RHINE-WESTPHALIA -- 1 INTRODUCTION -- 2 THE STATE STRUCTURE OF GERMANY -- 3 POLICE AND POLICING IN GERMANY.