Dutch police force not protecting officers adequately
image: Kyan Tijhuis on Unsplash
According to an investigation by ‘Nieuwsuur’, the Dutch police force is not complying with current occupational health and safety legislation. Barend Barentsen, Professor of Labour Law, comments: ‘It’s unacceptable that a public-sector organisation fails to comply with legislation.’
Dutch news programme Nieuwsuur has revealed that for years, the police have failed to conduct the so-called mandatory risk assessment and evaluation (in Dutch risico-inventarisatie & evaluatie, RI&E), aimed at adequately updating health and safety measures. According to Professor Barentsen, this ‘is not to say that police officers are at great risk. But precisely because the police carry out essential and sometimes dangerous work, the RI&E policy must be respected.' The police force has not properly identified the working conditions of its officers and has not made improvements where necessary. This could lead to unsafe situations.
The police acknowledge the problem, but point to the high workload and the need to prioritise. ‘As a result, certain matters – which might seem less urgent, but are nevertheless important – are not dealt with,’ says a police spokesperson. 'It’s clearly not a good thing that the police force is still failing to comply with the law, despite several reminders from the Labour Inspectorate’, Barentsen said. Several police officers have informed Nieuwsuur that their hearing protection is inadequate and that their protective clothing lets drugs through anyway. After a raid on a drug premises, substances were found on their regular clothes and footwear. According to Barentsen, proper protection is an issue that is being worked on, but improvements can still be made.
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Watch the Nieuwsuur broadcast (in Dutch)