Directors who entered the police studs on the Flierbosdreef in Amsterdam-Zuidoost on Wednesday afternoon were confronted with a striking newcomer: a talking pole who determines who is checked and who is not.
A cop asks motorists to press a button. Then – usually – a green light burns and the message sounds: “You can go through, You can pass“With a red light, the driver has to put the car aside. Four in five can continue, one in five is checked by the police.
Work more transparent
According to Geert-Jan Staal from the police innovation team, the pole must contribute to safety and transparency. “We work with at random Selection. “That is possible during traffic controls, but also during drug controls at festivals or weapon checks on the street, he explains. The mayor and the public prosecutor determine in which so -called designated areas can be preventively searched and where the selection post can be used.
The police emphasize that the post is not only intended to guarantee arbitrariness in the selection, but also to give more clarity to citizens. The idea was partly from consultation rounds with citizens, and has been worked out in the past four years. This hopes to be a criticism of possible ethnic profiling.
‘Risk of selection remains’
Yet not everyone is convinced. Critics point out that agents still have the right to get drivers out of the line, even if the pole gives the green light. The personal assessment of agents therefore remains important. According to them, this can still lead to selection based on appearance or type of car.