Local counterterrorism policing as a cultural adaptation

This paper examines the role of the local police in a wider regime of counterterrorism practices in Belgium. On the basis of ethnographic fieldwork and in-depth interviews in two local police forces we intend to show how local counterterrorism police strategy is actually shaped, and how key informants perceive its strengths and pitfalls. We will argue that local counterterrorism policing is best thought of as a cultural adaptation; a specific response to terrorism that entails a shift in the practices, knowledges and norms of the local police. We conclude with a discussion about the implications of this shift.