Technological innovation in a police organization: Lessons learned from the National Police of the Netherlands

Abstract Police organizations internationally explore and experiment with new technologies to improve their performance and in response to new forms of crime. The police in the Netherlands experiment with various forms of innovative technology. Previous research has shown that social, organizational, and technological factors are important for effective use and deployment of technology by the police. However, the precise factors and mechanisms underlying the promotion or inhibition of technological innovations within the police are not clear. This study aims to provide empirical knowledge about these mechanisms by providing insight into the processes through which technological innovation develops within the police in the Netherlands. From January 2017 to February 2018, 13 technological innovation projects were subjected to a longitudinal process study. The results show that innovation processes within the police organization are often inhibited by organizational factors, whereas social factors can stimulate and promote these processes.