This paper presents theoretical and empirical research on the collaborative practices of plural policing in the Netherlands and Belgium. It develops and operationalises an explanatory theoretical framework which consists of three factors: network ‘structure and technologies’, ‘culture and relationships’ and ‘governance and policy’. A qualitative analysis of three cases – the Johan Cruijff Arena (the Ajax soccer stadium in Amsterdam), the Nijmegen Four-Day March (a major walking event in the East of the Netherlands) and the Antwerp Diamond Quarter – illustrates that ‘structure and technologies’ and ‘culture and relationships’ are intertwined factors. The lack of a formalised structure for collaboration coincides with lower levels of mutual trust, which, in turn, disturbs the equilibrium that exists between interdependent actors. The state remains salient in anchoring the local security networks studied. Although private actors can act as governing nodes, they only prosper within the remit of government power and public legal authority.