Law enforcement in the Netherlands
Encyclopedia
Law enforcement in the Netherlands is provided by 25 regional police forces , the Netherlands Police Agency and the Royal Marechaussee , a gendarmerie
.
In 1993 the police in the Netherlands
was reorganised into 25 regiokorpsen (regional forces) and the Korps landelijke politiediensten (National police services force, KLPD). In the event of serious emergencies, the police cooperates with the fire brigade, ambulance
service and other government agencies in the security region corresponding to the police region.
in the region. The other board members of the Driehoek are the korpschef and the (chief) prosecutor
.
A region consists of several districts, each having a district chief. Each district consists of a number of local units, called basiseenheden (basic units) or teams.
The "police strength", the number of constables and other police employees in a region is determined by the number of inhabitants and the amount of crime
in the region. So the smallest force counts about 300 police officers, while the largest one counts more than 5000 police employees. There are about 55,000 police employees serving in the Netherlands.
Any police officer may also be deployed in a riot police Mobile Unit and nearly all officers attend a basic course to qualify them for such duties. Mobile units are called in to deal with serious public order offenses. Each police region has one or more units on stand-by for a total of 45 mobile units nationwide, each of which has about 50 members (including middle-ranking and senior officers). Nine units have also been trained to respond to incidents on maritime vessels.
(Netherlands Police Agency, KLPD) provides eleven operational services, including:
The KLPD is also responsible for maintaining safety and combatting crime on the road
s, waterways, railways and in the air. It also combats domestic and cross-border serious/organised crime, terrorism, commands all anti-terror police units and much of the police horse and dog teams; provides witness protection, and close-protection to members of Dutch Royal Family and others necessary person (e.g. diplomats and politicians) by the authorised minister
.
(KMar) (Royal Constabulary or Royal Military Police in English) is one of the four services of the Netherlands armed forces. It is a gendarmerie
— that is, a military police organisation conducting the peacetime duties of a normal police force as well as being the police force to the armed forces. The Marechaussee is a fully military organisation under the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence, rather than the Chief of the Defence Staff (to secure independence and impartiality when enforcing military law).
The main civil tasks of the Marechaussee are to guarding Dutch national border (perform passport control), such as airports and seaports in order enforce 'alien legislation' (the entry of foreigners into the country), to escort money transports of the Central Bank of the Netherlands and to guard the main offices of the Bank. It also guards the royal palaces and the official residence of the prime minister. Special Protection Tasks Brigade (BSB) on dangerous person surveillance, can be used at the request of civil authorities as well. The Marechaussee also provides general policing at Schiphol airport vicinity, in addition to border control duty.
The Marechaussee also carries ceremonial duties at royal palaces, such as when new diplomats present their Letters of Credence to the queen, and for escorting important guests.
Military tasks are to guard military (including NATO) bases, to provide police service to military personnel, to assist military transports and civil and military law enforcement.
Police trainee's are armed with a handgun if training for the constable level, if not the trainee performs his/hers duties unarmed.(pepperspray,handcuffs and baton)
In addition to these ranks, the so-called Buitengewoon Opsporings Ambtenaren (Special Investigation Officials) serve in the force. These are usually not a part of the above rank system. These special investigation officials may be authorised for specific duties such as parking duties or railway duties. Often it means they are authorised to uphold specific laws by fining transgressors, without the use of weapons or any other use of force.
General Officers, National Level:
Senior officers, District Level:
Officers, Brigade Level:
Executive personnel:
See also: Military ranks of the Dutch armed forces
Personnel from the rank of Constable (Agent) and also some trainees (Aspirant) carry a firearm. The German-made Walther P5
is currently in use and has been since 1978. It was originally planned to be replaced by the SIG-SAUER PPNL, a 9x19mm version of the SIG Sauer P250, but the contract was cancelled due to the failure of several safety tests. At this time it is unclear which firearm will succede the Walther P5.
Within the police, several departments are occupied with parts of these main tasks.
112 and the national police number 0900-8844 come in here around the clock.
The people of the communications centre have to judge the calls in such a way that something is done, fast and properly. If a call is serious, an employee in the communications centre will have to directly choose which police officers are to be dispatched to the address. The communications centre employees know exactly where all the members of the force on the street are.
The calls coming in to the communications centre are dispatched according to a number of criteria, resulting in so called priorities. Four priorities are defined.
The other two priorities are dispatched to neighbourhood teams.
C2000 is the digital, untappable communications system and, with CityGIS, police cars can be tracked on a map using GPS, which can be reported to the communications centre using a VDO navigation system.
The Dutch government is keen to put more and more police "on the street". This means that automisation will have to be improved so that constables do not lose a lot of time noting all their observations on paper for later use. The uniformed policemen on the street are those of the patrol service.
Sometimes police patrols drive directly from the communications centre to the location where someone requested assistance. This can be a simple case of someone locking their keys inside their car, a complaint about litter or an incoveniently parked car. There are also more serious calls that need direct attention, like an accident with injuries, a stabbing, a burglary, vandalism; all events where the police has to act and reassure.
Surveillance is not only done from the patrol car, but also from a motorbike or a horse. Especially in crowded malls surveillance is often done on foot or (motor)bike. The men and women on the street have to permanently "keep their eyes open" to spot suspicious behaviour, such as someone walking around looking inside parked cars, cars without working lights or drunken cyclists.
Car owners are told that their lights are broken and why this is dangerous. A constable on foot may tell shop owners to put locks on their shelves outside to prevent shoplifting. If you report on a stolen bike, you'll be told what kind of bike locks are most effective.
The police in a municipality are available 24 hours every day for basic law enforcement. More and more often the police will visit schools to teach pupils about drug prevention, vandalism or sex on the internet. The police in a municipality make sure that what is forbidden isn't done, and that which is mandatory is actually done. They also make sure that anyone who asks for assistance gets it, supported by personnel from the district and the region. Since the early 90s several police regions have been working with neighbourhood teams called neighbourhood supervisors.
The power to stop someone is often confused with the power to arrest someone. The power to stop someone is the power of the police to make someone stand still, so that the police can ask for his name and address. (A lot of people say they have been arrested when they were really only fined or just stopped.)
The power to stop someone is the power that enables the arrest of someone. However, this power is not only granted to the police. The Code of Criminal Procedure, article 53, sub 1, reads:
The term "in the act" meaning "when it just happened".
Stopping someone means holding the suspect while waiting for the arrival of the police. When someone is stopped, he is always brought to a police station for questioning.
The investigative powers of the police are for example described in the Police Law, the Arms and Munitions Law, the Opium Law, the Road Traffic Law 1994, the Entry Law and the Code of Criminal Procedure.
These powers are bound by very strict rules. Some of these powers may be applied by an officer himself, like the examples before. Other police powers, like wiretapping, observation or searching premises, can only be used after permission is granted by the examining judge.
.
). The employees of Slachtofferhulp are specially trained to provide support to victims of accidents and crime. They make sure that victims are coached, but they also help with filling in forms for insurance or a lawyer.
Gendarmerie
A gendarmerie or gendarmery is a military force charged with police duties among civilian populations. Members of such a force are typically called "gendarmes". The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary describes a gendarme as "a soldier who is employed on police duties" and a "gendarmery, -erie" as...
.
Organisation
From the end of 1945 until 1993, the Dutch police was composed of the gemeentepolitie (municipal police) and the rijkspolitie (state police).In 1993 the police in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
was reorganised into 25 regiokorpsen (regional forces) and the Korps landelijke politiediensten (National police services force, KLPD). In the event of serious emergencies, the police cooperates with the fire brigade, ambulance
Ambulance
An ambulance is a vehicle for transportation of sick or injured people to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury, and in some instances will also provide out of hospital medical care to the patient...
service and other government agencies in the security region corresponding to the police region.
The regiokorpsen
Every regiokorps (regional force) is led by a korpschef (corps chief), a Hoofdcommissaris (Head Commissioner) who conducts the day-to-day police force management. Decisions about the principal law enforcement policies are made by a regional board, the so called Driehoek (triangle) whose chairman is the korpsbeheerder (force manager). The korpsbeheerder is usually the mayor of the largest municipalityMunicipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in the region. The other board members of the Driehoek are the korpschef and the (chief) prosecutor
Prosecutor
The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
.
A region consists of several districts, each having a district chief. Each district consists of a number of local units, called basiseenheden (basic units) or teams.
The "police strength", the number of constables and other police employees in a region is determined by the number of inhabitants and the amount of crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
in the region. So the smallest force counts about 300 police officers, while the largest one counts more than 5000 police employees. There are about 55,000 police employees serving in the Netherlands.
Any police officer may also be deployed in a riot police Mobile Unit and nearly all officers attend a basic course to qualify them for such duties. Mobile units are called in to deal with serious public order offenses. Each police region has one or more units on stand-by for a total of 45 mobile units nationwide, each of which has about 50 members (including middle-ranking and senior officers). Nine units have also been trained to respond to incidents on maritime vessels.
Korps landelijke politiediensten
The Korps landelijke politiedienstenKorps landelijke politiediensten
The Korps landelijke politiediensten is the national police force in the Netherlands, responsible for specialist missions that benefit from a centralized approach. It is independent from the regional police forces; but like them, it is subordinate to the Dutch Ministry of the Interior and has a...
(Netherlands Police Agency, KLPD) provides eleven operational services, including:
- Dienst Nationale Recherche (National Crime Squad)
- Dienst IPOL (National Police Intelligence Service - former DINPOL and DNRI)
- Dienst Specialistische Recherche Toepassingen (Special Investigative Services)
- Dienst Koninklijke en Diplomatieke Beveiliging (Royal and Diplomatic Security Service)
- Dienst Speciale Interventies (Special Intervention Service)
The KLPD is also responsible for maintaining safety and combatting crime on the road
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
s, waterways, railways and in the air. It also combats domestic and cross-border serious/organised crime, terrorism, commands all anti-terror police units and much of the police horse and dog teams; provides witness protection, and close-protection to members of Dutch Royal Family and others necessary person (e.g. diplomats and politicians) by the authorised minister
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
.
Koninklijke Marechaussee
The Koninklijke MarechausseeKoninklijke Marechaussee
The Koninklijke Marechaussee, the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, abbreviated to KMar, is one of the four Services of the armed forces of the Netherlands...
(KMar) (Royal Constabulary or Royal Military Police in English) is one of the four services of the Netherlands armed forces. It is a gendarmerie
Gendarmerie
A gendarmerie or gendarmery is a military force charged with police duties among civilian populations. Members of such a force are typically called "gendarmes". The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary describes a gendarme as "a soldier who is employed on police duties" and a "gendarmery, -erie" as...
— that is, a military police organisation conducting the peacetime duties of a normal police force as well as being the police force to the armed forces. The Marechaussee is a fully military organisation under the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence, rather than the Chief of the Defence Staff (to secure independence and impartiality when enforcing military law).
The main civil tasks of the Marechaussee are to guarding Dutch national border (perform passport control), such as airports and seaports in order enforce 'alien legislation' (the entry of foreigners into the country), to escort money transports of the Central Bank of the Netherlands and to guard the main offices of the Bank. It also guards the royal palaces and the official residence of the prime minister. Special Protection Tasks Brigade (BSB) on dangerous person surveillance, can be used at the request of civil authorities as well. The Marechaussee also provides general policing at Schiphol airport vicinity, in addition to border control duty.
The Marechaussee also carries ceremonial duties at royal palaces, such as when new diplomats present their Letters of Credence to the queen, and for escorting important guests.
Military tasks are to guard military (including NATO) bases, to provide police service to military personnel, to assist military transports and civil and military law enforcement.
Ranks of the Dutch police
Within the Dutch police the following ranks are in use:- Chief of Police (Hoofdcommissaris) A gold grown with two crossed swords and oak leave beneath
- Chief Superintendent (Commissaris) A gold grown with a oak leave beneath
- Superintendent (Hoofdinspecteur) a gold crown with a gold bar beneath
- Chief Inspector (Inspecteur) a gold crown
- Inspector (Brigadier) 2 curved oak leaves with a small crown and a sword in the middle
- Sergeant (Hoofdagent) 4 gold bars
- Constable (Agent) 3 gold bars
- Police Patrol Officer (Surveillant) 2 gold bars
- Police Trainee (Aspirant) 1 gold bar
Police trainee's are armed with a handgun if training for the constable level, if not the trainee performs his/hers duties unarmed.(pepperspray,handcuffs and baton)
In addition to these ranks, the so-called Buitengewoon Opsporings Ambtenaren (Special Investigation Officials) serve in the force. These are usually not a part of the above rank system. These special investigation officials may be authorised for specific duties such as parking duties or railway duties. Often it means they are authorised to uphold specific laws by fining transgressors, without the use of weapons or any other use of force.
Ranks of the Royal Marechaussee
The ranks within the Royal Marechaussee are:General Officers, National Level:
- Lieutenant General (commander in chief Royal Marechaussee)
- Major General (deputy commander)
- Brigadier General (usually head of department of the Royal Marechaussee Staff)
Senior officers, District Level:
- Colonel ("district commander")
- Lieutenant-colonel (deputy district commander, mostly in charge of a district staff department)
- Major (mostly in charge of a district department)
Officers, Brigade Level:
- Captain (comparable to Chief Inspector, brigade commander / squadron commander)
- First Lieutenant (comparable to Inspector)
- Second Lieutenant
Executive personnel:
- Warrant Officer (comparable to Inspector)
- Sergeant Major
- Sergeant First Class
- Sergeant (comparable to Constable)
- Marechaussee First Class (compared to Patrol Officer)
- Marechaussee Second Class
- Marechaussee Third Class
- Marechaussee Fourth Class (comparable to Police Trainee)
See also: Military ranks of the Dutch armed forces
Military ranks of the Dutch armed forces
-Koninklijke Landmacht, KL :The Landmacht is the land based part of the Dutch military. Its task are the following:* To defend Dutch soil and that of NATO allies.* To contribute to peace, stability and safety world wide....
Equipment
Basically the equipment of every Dutch police officer consists of the following:- Handcuffs (type: LIPS)
- Short batonBaton (law enforcement)A truncheon or baton is essentially a club of less than arm's length made of wood, plastic, or metal...
- Pepperspray
- Handgun Walther P5Walther P5The Walther P5 is a 9mm semi-automatic pistol developed in the mid-1970s by the German small arms manufacturer Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen. It was designed with the German police forces in mind, who sought to replace existing 7.65mm pistols with a modern service sidearm incorporating enhanced...
(Only from the rank of constable) - C2000 radio
Personnel from the rank of Constable (Agent) and also some trainees (Aspirant) carry a firearm. The German-made Walther P5
Walther P5
The Walther P5 is a 9mm semi-automatic pistol developed in the mid-1970s by the German small arms manufacturer Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen. It was designed with the German police forces in mind, who sought to replace existing 7.65mm pistols with a modern service sidearm incorporating enhanced...
is currently in use and has been since 1978. It was originally planned to be replaced by the SIG-SAUER PPNL, a 9x19mm version of the SIG Sauer P250, but the contract was cancelled due to the failure of several safety tests. At this time it is unclear which firearm will succede the Walther P5.
Vehicles
- Austin Metro
- BMW M3BMW M3The BMW M3 is a high-performance version of the BMW 3 Series, developed by BMW's in-house motorsport division, BMW M. M3 models have been derived from the E30, E36, E46 and E90/E92/E93 3-series, and sold with coupé, sedan and convertible body styles...
- Fiat 500Fiat 500The Fiat 500 is a car produced by the Fiat company of Italy between 1957 and 1975, with limited production of the Fiat 500 K estate continuing until 1977. The car was designed by Dante Giacosa....
- Mercedes-Benz E-ClassMercedes-Benz E-ClassThe Mercedes-Benz E-Class is a range of executive-size cars manufactured by Mercedes-Benz in various engine and body configurations. The E initially stood for Einspritzmotor, ; a new feature in volume production vehicles at the time that the E-Class first appeared, with the E as a suffix to the...
- Mercedes-Benz SprinterMercedes-Benz SprinterThe Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is a light and heavy commercial vehicle, built by Daimler AG of Stuttgart, Germany as a van, chassis cab and minibus, and sold as a Mercedes model, except in the U.S. where it is built from complete knock down kits and was sold by Freightliner until 2010 when Mercedes...
- Mercedes-Benz V-Class
- Mercedes-Benz VarioMercedes-Benz VarioThe Mercedes-Benz Vario is a heavy van manufactured by Mercedes-Benz. Originally launched as the T2 in 1986, the Vario gained its current name when it was facelifted in 1996. The T2 van itself succeeded the Mercedes-Benz L van series.The bodyshell remained relatively unchanged since production...
(armoured van) - Mitsubishi PajeroMitsubishi PajeroThe Mitsubishi Pajero is a sport utility vehicle manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors. It was named after Leopardus pajeros, the Pampas Cat which is native to the Patagonia plateau region of southern Argentina. However, since pajero is an offensive term for "wanker" in Spanish, alternative names have...
- Mitsubishi Space StarMitsubishi Space StarThe Mitsubishi Space Star is a mini MPV from Mitsubishi Motors, built in the NedCar factory in the Netherlands, a joint facility shared with Volvo, and is primarily sold on the European markets. It shares its platform with the Mitsubishi Carisma and Volvo S40/V40, and was first introduced to the...
- Nissan X-TrailNissan X-TrailThe Nissan X-Trail is a compact crossover SUV produced by the Japanese automaker Nissan since 2001. It was one of Nissan's first crossover SUVs and was released about the same time as several other companies competing car-based compact SUVs including the Ford Escape and its Mazda Tribute sibling,...
- Opel AstraOpel AstraThe Opel Astra is a small family car engineered and manufactured by the German automaker Opel since 1991.It is branded as Vauxhall Astra in the United Kingdom, the Buick Excelle XT in China and the Chevrolet Astra/Vectra in Latin America...
- Opel AstraOpel AstraThe Opel Astra is a small family car engineered and manufactured by the German automaker Opel since 1991.It is branded as Vauxhall Astra in the United Kingdom, the Buick Excelle XT in China and the Chevrolet Astra/Vectra in Latin America...
Caravan - Opel Frontera
- Opel VectraOpel VectraThe Opel Vectra is a large family car that was engineered and produced by Opel. In the United Kingdom, the car was sold under the Vauxhall marque as the Vauxhall Cavalier and later as the Vauxhall Vectra, from 1995 onwards...
- Opel ZafiraOpel ZafiraThe Opel Zafira is a compact MPV engineered and produced by the German automaker Opel. The Zafira is sold under the Vauxhall marque in the United Kingdom.- Zafira A :...
- Porsche 911Porsche 911The Porsche 911 is a luxury 2-door sports coupe made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a distinctive design, rear-engined and with independent rear suspension, an evolution of the swing axle on the Porsche 356. The engine was also air-cooled until the introduction of the Type 996 in 1998...
- Renault 19Renault 19The Renault 19 is a small family car that was produced by the French car manufacturer Renault between 1988 and 2000.-Overview:The R19 was launched on September 1988 as the replacement for the 9 and 11, both of which were ageing and outdated by the late 1980s...
- Smart FortwoSmart FortwoThe Smart Fortwo is a rear-engined two-seater city car manufactured by Smart GmbH, introduced at the 1998 Paris Motor Show as the Smart City Coupé, and currently in its second generation...
- Volkswagen GolfVolkswagen GolfThe Volkswagen Golf is a small family car manufactured by Volkswagen since 1974 and marketed worldwide across six generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates – as the Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada , and as the Volkswagen Caribe in Mexico .The...
(also as unmarked police) - Volkswagen PoloVolkswagen PoloThe Volkswagen Polo is a supermini car manufactured by Volkswagen. It is sold in Europe and other markets worldwide in hatchback, saloon, coupé and estate variants....
- Volkswagen Transporter (T4)
- Volkswagen TouranVolkswagen TouranThe Volkswagen Touran is a compact MPV based on a vertically-stretched fifth generation Volkswagen Golf Mk5, and sold in Europe and other select markets. It was launched in 2003 to fill a gap in Volkswagen's model lineup, below the Sharan large MPV...
- Volvo S60Volvo S60The Volvo S60 is a compact executive sedan produced by the Swedish automaker Volvo from 2000. Two generations of the sedan have been produced to date.-First generation :...
- Volvo V70Volvo V70The Volvo V70 is a mid-size five-door estate car / station wagon manufactured by Volvo Cars since 2000. It is closely related to the S70, S60 and S80 saloons, as well as the four-wheel drive Cross Country and XC70....
- Volkswagen TouaregVolkswagen TouaregThe Volkswagen Touareg is a mid-size crossover SUV produced by German automaker Volkswagen since 2002. The vehicle was named after the Tuareg people, a Berber-speaking group in North Africa...
Tasks
Article 2 of the Dutch Police law describes what the missions of the police are: "The task of the police is to, in subordination to the authorities and complying with applicable law, take care of the actual upholding of the legal order and to supply aid to those who need it." In practise this is comes down to four main missions.- Prevention (preventing offences and crimes)
- Investigation of crimes and offences
- Upholding the legal order
- Supplying assistance
Within the police, several departments are occupied with parts of these main tasks.
Communications centre
The communications centre is sometimes called the heart of the police force. All calls to the emergency telephone numberEmergency telephone number
Many countries' public telephone networks have a single emergency telephone number, sometimes known as the universal emergency telephone number or occasionally the emergency services number, that allows a caller to contact local emergency services for assistance. The emergency telephone number may...
112 and the national police number 0900-8844 come in here around the clock.
The people of the communications centre have to judge the calls in such a way that something is done, fast and properly. If a call is serious, an employee in the communications centre will have to directly choose which police officers are to be dispatched to the address. The communications centre employees know exactly where all the members of the force on the street are.
The calls coming in to the communications centre are dispatched according to a number of criteria, resulting in so called priorities. Four priorities are defined.
- Priority number one: a life-threatening situation where police assistance is required within ten minutes.
- Priority number two: an arrival time of thirty minutes is required.
The other two priorities are dispatched to neighbourhood teams.
Systems in use
For a number of years, the communications centres have used the Gemeenschappelijk Meldkamer Systeem (Common Communications Centre System, GMS). This system has a lot of functions. In the first place it functions as a plotting screen which displays every unit logged in. It also has a database function for procedures and phone numbers necessary for correctly executing police work and it links to the C2000 system and the CityGIS (GPS) system.C2000 is the digital, untappable communications system and, with CityGIS, police cars can be tracked on a map using GPS, which can be reported to the communications centre using a VDO navigation system.
Basic police work
In the Netherlands basic police work consists of the following tasks:- Visible police on the street: being visibly present on the street, on foot or in a marked car, prevents people from committing offences and crimes.
- Basic detective work: investigating petty thefts and burglaries is part of basic police work; when the case takes up too much time, it is transferred to the special branch.
- Giving crime prevention advice: giving advice on how to deter burglaries, advising municipalities on traffic issues, consultancy, etc.
- Providing assistance: assistance is provided to those who ask for it but also to game wardens, municipalities etc.
- Dealing with traffic issues: traffic surveillance, handling traffic accidents, advising citizens and municipalities, traffic congestion security.
- Maintaining laws and regulations (often in conjunction with the special service): e.g. checking if foreigners are in possession of the right documents (visa, residence permit, work permit etc.) in cooperation with the immigration service.
- Special tasks: apart from daily activities a few special tasks are part of basic policing; these are executed independently or in conjunction with normal police activities, like the vice squad.
- National, (inter)regional investigations: investigating serious crimes such as murderMurderMurder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
, drug trafficking, trafficking in human beings, youth delinquencyJuvenile delinquencyJuvenile delinquency is participation in illegal behavior by minors who fall under a statutory age limit. Most legal systems prescribe specific procedures for dealing with juveniles, such as juvenile detention centers. There are a multitude of different theories on the causes of crime, most if not...
, arms trade, fraudFraudIn criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
, big environmental cases and sexual offences; the detectives are often supported by specialists. - Information management: gathering and processing technical information (such as photographs and finger printFinger PrintFinger Print is a Malayalam language film. It was released in 2005....
s) and information about criminal organisations by for example the Criminele Inlichtingen Eenheid (Criminal Intelligence Unit, CIE). - Aliens: issuing residence permits and supervising people staying in the Netherlands who don't have Dutch citizenship.
- Environmental service: because environmental lawEnvironmental lawEnvironmental law is a complex and interlocking body of treaties, conventions, statutes, regulations, and common law that operates to regulate the interaction of humanity and the natural environment, toward the purpose of reducing the impacts of human activity...
is complex, this is a specialist mission. In several Dutch municipalities these tasks are entrusted to a special Milieupolitie (Environmental police). - Operational support tasks: tasks that support basic law enforcement or specialist tasks, such as police horse and dogPolice dogA police dog, often referred to as a "K-9 dog" in some areas , is a dog that is trained specifically to assist police and other law-enforcement personnel in their work...
) care, the Mobiele Eenheid (Mobile Unit, riot controlRiot controlRiot control refers to the measures used by police, military, or other security forces to control, disperse, and arrest civilians who are involved in a riot, demonstration, or protest. Law enforcement officers or soldiers have long used non-lethal weapons such as batons and whips to disperse crowds...
), arrestatieteams (similar to SWATSWATA SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...
teams; armed with the GLOCK 17 and/or a submachine gunSubmachine gunA submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...
, usually the Heckler & Koch MP5Heckler & Koch MP5The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a 9mm submachine gun of German design, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH of Oberndorf am Neckar....
, for high-risk arrests) and observatieteams (observation teams, OT).
The Dutch government is keen to put more and more police "on the street". This means that automisation will have to be improved so that constables do not lose a lot of time noting all their observations on paper for later use. The uniformed policemen on the street are those of the patrol service.
Sometimes police patrols drive directly from the communications centre to the location where someone requested assistance. This can be a simple case of someone locking their keys inside their car, a complaint about litter or an incoveniently parked car. There are also more serious calls that need direct attention, like an accident with injuries, a stabbing, a burglary, vandalism; all events where the police has to act and reassure.
Surveillance is not only done from the patrol car, but also from a motorbike or a horse. Especially in crowded malls surveillance is often done on foot or (motor)bike. The men and women on the street have to permanently "keep their eyes open" to spot suspicious behaviour, such as someone walking around looking inside parked cars, cars without working lights or drunken cyclists.
Car owners are told that their lights are broken and why this is dangerous. A constable on foot may tell shop owners to put locks on their shelves outside to prevent shoplifting. If you report on a stolen bike, you'll be told what kind of bike locks are most effective.
The police in a municipality are available 24 hours every day for basic law enforcement. More and more often the police will visit schools to teach pupils about drug prevention, vandalism or sex on the internet. The police in a municipality make sure that what is forbidden isn't done, and that which is mandatory is actually done. They also make sure that anyone who asks for assistance gets it, supported by personnel from the district and the region. Since the early 90s several police regions have been working with neighbourhood teams called neighbourhood supervisors.
Powers
The police have powers "ordinary" people don't have. E.g. an officer can stop or arrest people, or look in a shopping bag for lifted items, or (on authorization of the assistant prosecutor) search a home for arms. The police also have the power to use force. This power is often called the "monopoly on force". The police is one of the few organisations in the Netherlands that are allowed to use force, the use of which is bound by many rules and preconditions.The power to stop someone is often confused with the power to arrest someone. The power to stop someone is the power of the police to make someone stand still, so that the police can ask for his name and address. (A lot of people say they have been arrested when they were really only fined or just stopped.)
The power to stop someone is the power that enables the arrest of someone. However, this power is not only granted to the police. The Code of Criminal Procedure, article 53, sub 1, reads:
In case of discovery in the act everyone is authorized to stop the suspect.
The term "in the act" meaning "when it just happened".
Stopping someone means holding the suspect while waiting for the arrival of the police. When someone is stopped, he is always brought to a police station for questioning.
The investigative powers of the police are for example described in the Police Law, the Arms and Munitions Law, the Opium Law, the Road Traffic Law 1994, the Entry Law and the Code of Criminal Procedure.
These powers are bound by very strict rules. Some of these powers may be applied by an officer himself, like the examples before. Other police powers, like wiretapping, observation or searching premises, can only be used after permission is granted by the examining judge.
Cooperation with other services
When providing aid the police cooperates with other services. When dealing with an accident for example, the police cooperates with ambulance services, doctors and the fire brigade. The police also cooperate with the Koninklijke MarechausseeKoninklijke Marechaussee
The Koninklijke Marechaussee, the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, abbreviated to KMar, is one of the four Services of the armed forces of the Netherlands...
.
Slachtofferhulp
For providing support to victims the police cooperates with the Bureaus Slachtofferhulp (comparable to Victim SupportVictim Support
Victim Support is a charity in England and Wales which aims to help victims and witnesses of crime by raising awareness of their needs and by delivering dedicated services to them. It was established in 1974. It is a national charity with branches in every community and each criminal court in...
). The employees of Slachtofferhulp are specially trained to provide support to victims of accidents and crime. They make sure that victims are coached, but they also help with filling in forms for insurance or a lawyer.
Continuing support
The police cooperates closely with support organisations that can continue providing support when the abilities of the police to do so come to an end. A few examples:- Addiction care like the Consultatiebureau voor Alcohol en Drugs, Kentron or Novadic.
- Mental health Care (for people who e.g. want to commit suicide or are a danger to others)
- The Reclassering Nederland (the Dutch parole office)
- The youth parole office
- The Raad voor de Kinderbescherming (comparable to the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support ServiceChildren and Family Court Advisory and Support ServiceThe Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service is a non-departmental public body for England and Wales set up to safeguard and promote the welfare of children involved in family court proceedings...
) - Social work, e.g. in case of domestic violence
See also
- Belgian police
- Criminal justice system of the NetherlandsCriminal justice system of the NetherlandsThe criminal justice system of the Netherlands is the system of practices and institutions of the Netherlands directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, and sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts. The Netherlands criminal...
- Grand Ducal PoliceGrand Ducal PoliceThe Grand Ducal Police is the primary law enforcement agency in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The police is under the control of the Minister for the Interior of Luxembourg, although they operate in the name, and under the ultimate control, of the Grand Duke. Day-to-day executive control is...
, Luxembourg - InterpolInterpolInterpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
- Law of the NetherlandsLaw of the NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a civil law country. Its laws are written and the application of customary law is exceptional. The role of case law is small in theory, although in practice it is impossible to understand the law in many fields without also taking into account the relevant case law...