With the formation of the national police in 2012, our unit maintained a fine-meshed network in the region and the number of teams changed little. However, social and technical developments progressed rapidly, as did the associated crime and public order issues. Therefore, at the end of 2023, the unit asked whether basic teams and districts could be organized in such a way that the unit could better respond to these developments.
That same year, a working group began working on this question. After extensive research and thorough discussions within the police and with partners such as the Public Prosecution Service and all municipalities in the work area, this ultimately led to a plan of action this year. After a positive recommendation from the works council in September, the unit management made a final decision at the end of September to implement the plan.
New Tasks
‘There are several reasons that together make it really necessary for our unit to change,’ says Karin. ‘Some of those lie in the outside world. Our environment has changed significantly, and as a result, new tasks have also come into our work. You want to be able to perform those from your basic teams. Many of our teams are very small, and no extra staff can be appointed for these new tasks. As a result, we find that the necessary digital expertise can no longer be accommodated in teams.’
Experimenting with Recruitment
A second reason to reassess the organizational structure of the unit is, according to Karin, the situation in the labor market. ‘You see that the labor market has changed. It is really difficult for the police to reach and maintain strength. Therefore, we also need to look for other ways of recruitment. We are currently experimenting with this. For example, with alternative recruitment. In this, we hire people from outside the police whom we train for a specific role within law enforcement.’
Recovery Time Needed for Police Officers
The third reason Karin mentions is the workload in relation to the schedule pressure. ‘An important aspect is that the pressure on police officers is increasing. When you deal with impactful events in your work, which happens regularly, you need recovery time. This is important to remain resilient. We often see that this recovery time cannot be provided. For example, because only two people are on duty. If you organize teams a bit larger, you can also provide more space for the recovery time that is necessary to remain healthy, fit, and resilient.’
Maintaining Fine-Meshed Structure
An important element of the reorganization is that several basic teams are merged, resulting in larger teams. The fine-meshed structure is maintained, emphasizes Karin. ‘Although we will have fewer basic teams, the number of locations where residents can go remains virtually unchanged. Moreover, many teams already work closely together. If such cooperation becomes structural, as is often the case now, you should also want to embed that in the organization’s structure.’
Planning the Change Process
As previously mentioned, the plan for the new area division was definitively approved at the end of September. This fall, a so-called realization plan will be developed outlining how this change should take shape, and a plan of action will be created for the implementation of the personnel reorganization. This will be submitted to the works council and trade unions. The entire change process will take several years.
