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The coordinator of the National Investigation Communication Team Franki Klarenbeek has been informed by the NPO and AVROTROS that the episodes will be drastically shortened from 1 January next.
They go from almost fifty minutes to half an hour, which means that the police can submit far fewer cases to the public for tips. In addition, the broadcast time is delayed by one hour.
The police are completely furious about the intention to remove Opsporing Verzocht for fourteen weeks in the summer months.
‘Crime does not stop’
“We do not agree with this,” Klarenbeek writes of the police in an internal letter of fire, which is in the possession of De Telegraaf. “Because a fourteen week summer break seriously endangers continuity.”
The police fear that many investigations in the summer, requiring the help of the public, will be significantly delayed if one has to wait until Investigation Requested is back on the TV in the autumn of 2021. “The number of broadcasts in the new format is problematic for us. It would mean a big summer stop and crime doesn’t stop in the summer. It plays an important role in citizen participation and investigation. It would be very unfortunate if this decision goes through, ”said a police spokesman.
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“We are talking to both the AVROTROS and the NPO about this,” said the police in the letter. NPO did not want to respond on Wednesday.
The AVROTROS says: “With a resolution percentage of 40%, the importance of Investigation Requested for society is great. The NPO decides when and how often a program is broadcast. AVROTROS remains in talks with the NPO to ensure that Opsporing Verzocht retains a prominent place in the programming and can continue to solve as many cases as now. ”
Serious crimes solved
Justice responds: “The Public Prosecution is aware that the NPO is changing the format. We have discussed this with the AVROTROS and the police. The sender has made the decision, it’s up to them. It stimulates us to investigate alternatives to investigative reporting. ”
Opsporing Verzocht has been a very successful program on Dutch television since 1975. It often attracts more than a million viewers and yielded countless tips that helped the police solve often serious crimes.
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