What changes today?

‘The police will start working in crisis structure today. We begin this in The Hague and from Sunday it will be in effect throughout the Netherlands. This is necessary, as we are not only there for the NATO summit, but also for those in need of police assistance elsewhere in the Netherlands. Emergency assistance and immediate investigations will continue throughout the Netherlands. We have extra police personnel on standby in the central part of the country to assist in emergencies. Almost all police officers are therefore directly or indirectly involved.’

Is the police ready?

‘We, as police, are ready with the preparations, but an important part of our work is that we continue to respond to the current information picture. This also applies in the coming days leading up to the NATO summit. Our intelligence organization is at work, which also collaborates internationally and exchanges information. At this moment, there is no concrete threat, but we take everything into account.’

What does police deployment look like?

‘In The Hague and at other locations, such as around the hotels for the delegations, we are deploying all our specialties as police. For example, the mobile unit, explosives experts, and specialized motorcyclists. For specific tasks, we collaborate with the Royal Marechaussee and Defense, such as securing locations. During the summit, we will work in rings from lighter to heavier measures. The closer to the World Forum, the heavier the security. Our goal is to provide maximum protection while minimizing the impact on residents and others.

Additionally, the summit is also a huge logistical operation for the police. We are deploying 27,000 colleagues who will be provided with transportation, meals, and accommodation if necessary. We have set up three large service points in the region of The Hague, where colleagues can go for all support in the area of ICT and facilities. Closer to the World Forum, there are several support points for distributing meals, for example. About a thousand colleagues who usually work in the office are working at these locations.’

Are you worried about demonstrations?

‘Freedom of expression is a fundamental right, and demonstrating is allowed during the NATO summit. Several organizations have already announced demonstrations. We want to enable a safe summit with demonstrations. We want to prevent people from putting themselves in danger by taking actions that are prohibited. Where possible, we warn against this: don’t do anything strange. Blocking crucial roads is not allowed and falls outside the right to demonstrate. This is already the case now, and it will not be different during the summit. If necessary, we will act under the authority of the mayor. How we will act depends on the situation at that moment and the dangers that a blockade may bring.’

What should citizens be aware of?

‘Other partners have already said a lot about how citizens can take the NATO summit into account in the Netherlands. I can only repeat that. In the Randstad, road users may experience serious hindrance on the days surrounding the summit. It will be congested if people do not adjust their travel behavior. There are additional rules for flying drones, including a ban in The Hague and around Schiphol. And there is a risk of disinformation, as was previously the case during the NATO summit in Vilnius. False rumors were spread then, such as about bomb threats. The common thread is that it is important for citizens to stay well informed. There are several government websites where citizens can go, such as in this overview.’