Samenvatting

In this article the authors try to analyze the prerequisites and critical factors for the successful implementation of a nodal orientation in law enforcement. Their analysis is based on an exploration of the exemplary case of the Dutch national airport Schiphol, one of the most important multi nodal and infrastructural nodes in the Netherlands, where transport by air, road and rail and streams of people and goods intersect. The authors reject naive instrumentalism that sometimes comes along with the nodal orientation. They discuss the possibilities and limitations of high tech, the stipulation of nodal security governance and the dilemma's with regard to the privacy of citizens. They advocate a balance between the need for safety and personal freedom, based on a dialogue in politics and in broader society, and more accountability in the application of high tech detection equipment.