Opsporing Verzocht has been solving many crimes for over 42 years because it reaches the right informants and encourages them to tell their story. By broadcasting from the control room, the program shows viewers up close how crucial speed, collaboration, and information are in solving crimes. Reporting is exciting; sometimes people really need a nudge to share something when they recognize a criminal, says presenter and editor Anniko van Santen. The strength of our program is that our viewers still take that step to share their information, either by phone or digitally. We believe that broadcasting from the control room can further enhance that involvement.
The police see the collaboration as a valuable opportunity to bring police work, and thus investigation, even closer to society. We are there 24/7 for everyones safety. This initiative fits seamlessly with that, says Paul van den Assum, Head of Control Room East Netherlands. The broadcasts are carefully prepared, with an eye for calm and continuity in the control room. Our primary processes, both police, fire brigade, and ambulance, remain unaffected. Safety and help for people in need always come first. We are incredibly proud to be the backdrop for this innovative form of this live investigation program starting in September.
Many crimes can only be solved with the golden tip. The viewers of Opsporing Verzocht have been making a crucial contribution to solving crimes for over 42 years. Last year, it again turned out that in nearly half of the cases we presented in the program, an arrest was made, adds Daan Annegarn, team leader National Team Investigation Communication of the police. We hope that the dynamics of the control room will encourage even more viewers to think along with us and help solve cases.
About the control room
The control room is the place where the first reports for many of the investigative questions in the broadcast come in: it is the nerve center of police work. The Control Room East Netherlands is one of the ten control rooms in the national network of control rooms in the Netherlands. Here, police, fire brigade, ambulance care, and the National Control Room Cooperation work closely together to quickly help people in need regarding safety and health. The television program will never interfere with the essential services of the control room.