The digitalization of crime, groups in society that stand in opposition to each other, but also climate issues, rising energy prices, and the housing shortage. These are developments that gradually, but fundamentally change the security issue, writes Chief of Police Janny Knol in the annual report. We must continue to develop as an organization. Our solutions and methods no longer always suffice for the problems that lie ahead.

Our work used to mainly revolve around crime and nuisance on the streets, Knol states. That was mostly locally rooted, took place in the neighborhood, and the consequences were visible there. Due to digitalization, the boundary between the online and offline world is blurring. Crime is changing drastically. A perpetrator on the other side of the world can cause victims in our country without ever having been here.

The police themselves are also not untouchable, the chief of police states, referring to the hack in September in which contact details of police officers were compromised. All employees now regularly follow e-learnings on data protection and preventing data leaks.

Explosions

More than 1200 explosions occurred last year, often caused by criminals, but also frequently as a result of disputes in private spheres. A tragic low point was the devastating explosion at Tarwekamp in The Hague, which claimed the lives of six people. Knol: I saw the devastation with my own eyes, spoke with local residents, and with colleagues who provided assistance and investigated the perpetrators. The impact of these explosions is enormous.

Major Investigations

Meanwhile, the police completed several major investigations last year. Together with the FIOD and the United States Secret Service, a financial network was dismantled, and large amounts of money and cryptocurrency were seized. This gave the police more insight into the financial side of cybercrime. The High Tech Crime Team seized a record amount (over 41 million euros) in cryptocurrencies because the owners were suspected of criminal activities.

Data Theft

In Operation Magnus, the police collaborated with foreign partners to dismantle the technical infrastructure used to steal sensitive data from individuals and businesses. Operation Endgame, the largest international operation ever against ransomware, led to the offline removal of 33 servers in various data centers in the Netherlands and more than 100 computer servers worldwide.

Undermining

Last autumn, a major investigation into underground banking resulted in the arrest of a suspect who allegedly processed over 500 million euros in criminal money. The polices work in the main Dutch ports and transportation is also bearing fruit. For example, more drugs have been intercepted in the Zeeland ports.

Polarization

The police see polarization increasing in contacts with and between different communities and partners. Knol: To strengthen the connection with society, we collaborate on projects in many municipalities that aim to prevent young people from entering crime. In Nieuwegein, for example, the police are working in such a project with various professionals, including a kickboxing trainer.

Escape Room

The police warned downloaders and possessors of child pornography early on to stop. This is to prevent these individuals from taking a further step. Many victims of human trafficking in the Netherlands come from Hungary and Poland. To raise awareness of the risks and signs there, a mobile escape room with exploitation scenarios has been deployed in villages and cities in those countries.

Professional Control

The handling of cases and offenses with a discrimination aspect can be improved, according to the annual report. The treatment of people who report is not always satisfactory, and the discrimination aspect in a report or incident is not always recognized. Last year, the police adjusted the operational framework for Professional Control. However, the number of employees familiar with this approach is declining. To improve this, a mandatory test for police employees on the operational framework has been implemented. Masterclasses have also been organized on topics such as Destruction of Sacred Texts, Molukse History in the Netherlands, Pop-up Demonstrations, and Israel - Hamas - Palestine.

 

Service Delivery

The police are accessible through various channels. For example, physically at a police station, by phone, or digitally via a chatbot. Increasingly, different channels are being used, which sometimes puts pressure on service delivery. In 2024, there were 300,000 instances where a citizen could not reach the police due to waiting times.

Roster Pressure

There remains roster pressure and excessive workload in many units. To counter increased turnover, the police have implemented measures including a bonus for recruitment and retention and a fast-tracked screening process.

Finances

The annual accountability shows that many notable results have been achieved, but also that the execution of police tasks and the finances of the corps are structurally still not in balance. For 2024, a positive financial result of 37 million euros has been achieved. This is due to various under- and overspending. There is under-expenditure on personnel costs. The higher expenses are mainly in the components of Housing, ICT, and personnel provisions.

Changing security image requires different work, working differently, and networking differently, concludes Knol. In combination with our ongoing understaffing, it is a tough time that demands a lot from police officers. This sometimes means making choices and providing clarity about who we are, what we stand for, and where we stand.