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Last year at 14,500 incidents of police brutality, new registration system NOW

Dutch agents used violence in 14,507 incidents last year, the police report on Monday. Thanks to a new registration method, it has become clear that a total of 27,574 violent means were used in these incidents.

Since 1 January 2019, all police units have registered all the means of violence used in the same way. Previously, only the most serious means of violence used was recorded.

“This allows us to better assess how the violence has gone, whether it went well and whether we would do it again next time,” says violence portfolio holder Frank Paauw. “This is how we continue to learn from our violence efforts.

Last year’s records show that physical violence was used in 59 percent of cases. Think, for example, of pushing and hitting. With 11 percent, the second place is ‘different’, which refers to non-standard equipment and threats of violence.

This is followed by an 8 percent use of firearms, for example by targeting a person or actually shooting. The retractable baton (6 percent) and pepper spray (5 percent) complete the top five.

1,800 cases reviewed by special committee

Since the beginning of last year, all eleven police units have a Commission for Violence. This committee assesses the violence used if a firearm has been used to aim or shoot in the event that more than minor injuries have occurred or if the auxiliary public prosecutor deems it necessary.

Police report that nearly 1,800 cases were tested in 2019. According to the committee, professional behavior was involved in 88 percent of the cases. In the 159 situations where this was not the case, often (82 percent) were shortcomings in workmanship. Fifty files remain to be assessed.

Use of force in 2019

  • Physical violence: 16,328 (59 percent)
  • Non-standard equipment and threats of violence: 2,912 (11 percent)
  • Firearm: 2,225 (8 percent)
  • Extendable baton: 1,728 (6 percent)
  • Pepper spray: 1,400 (5 percent)
  • Handcuffs: 1,173 (4 percent)
  • Short baton: 739 (3 percent)
  • Service dog: 357 (1 percent)
  • Long baton: 345 (1 percent)
  • Service vehicle: 191 (1 percent)
  • Electric shock weapon: 124 (0 percent)
  • Reason stake: 29 (0 percent)
  • Unknown: 12 (0 percent)
  • Electric baton: 7 (0 percent)
  • CS tear gas: 4 (0 percent)




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