Public–private partnerships in alarm monitoring and filtering: a Belgian case study into intrusion alarm management

Plural policing and public–private partnerships have become increasingly prevalent since the latter half of the twentieth century. Within that period, there has also been a rise in the deployment of security measures and technological advancements in properties, such as intrusion alarm systems. However, this increased use of intrusion alarm systems has placed additional strain on police capacities. Ultimately, this has led to an increasing involvement of additional actors alongside law enforcement agencies—and the establishment of public–private partnerships—in the sphere of alarm use and management. The goal of this paper is to explore the operational processes, assess the existing regulatory framework, and identify challenges and complexities within public–private partnerships concerning intrusion alarm management and policy. In particular, we identified friction points amongst the legal authority, the operational competences, the willingness, and the consensus for executing legal powers by stakeholders in the alarm chain.