The National Police wants to take considerably stricter action against racism and discrimination in its own circle. Officers who behave racist towards colleagues can now count on being fired. This is apparent from a ‘joint statement against racism and discrimination’ that eighty prominent police officers drafted at a strategic summit in the Veluwe at the end of last week. “We want to be the ‘Police for All’. And yes, we will do better. But whoever crosses the border will always feel that, there should always be a sanction. Always. And where necessary, dismissal will follow,” the statement said.
Also read the interview accompanying this news item: Police from now on ‘clear’ about racism
Deputy Chief of Police Liesbeth Huyzer, who is most responsible for diversity policy, says in a conversation with NRC that the time when racist cops could move on after “a good talk” with their superiors is over. “Apologies like those that happened under the guise of work pressure and blowing off steam no longer apply. Discrimination, racist behaviour, exclusion, it must always have consequences. It does not mean that dismissal always follows, but it is the starting point from which we assess the violation.”
‘Don’t look away’
The police will distribute a video on the police site on Wednesday in which fifteen senior police officers emphasize the importance of a stricter approach to discrimination in their own force. Police officers have “set an example” in tackling racism in society, according to the video. In that case, this should particularly apply to the fight against discrimination within one’s own organisation. “The bar is higher for us.”
All 70,000 police officers are called upon to discuss racism with each other. “Don’t look away, because it’s happening right here right under our eyes,” the text reads. “Don’t shut up. Protect those who need it. Empower what we stand for.”
The new approach means a considerable tightening up of the current policy. In recent years, for example, Rotterdam police officers have been reprimanded or transferred in writing after racist statements in WhatsApp groups. On the other hand, whistleblowers of abuses were often fired.
In 2019, police adviser Carel Boers said he would stop because police officers structurally “look away” at discrimination against colleagues. In the police organization, police officers “often feel much less safe at the police station than when performing their duties on the street,” says Boers.
Documentary ‘The Blue Family’
The immediate reason for the change of course is a documentary that was made at the initiative of Control Alt Delete, an organization that works against ethnic profiling. The Blue Family was broadcasted by the KRO-NCRV last month. In that film, officers candidly tell that due to persistent racism from colleagues, almost all of them have decided to say goodbye to the organization.
The documentary made a big impression within the police. “How can people outside on the street feel safe, trust us, if we don’t experience that inside ourselves,” the statement said. According to Huyzer, the documentary has accelerated the racism debate. “This documentary made very clear the pain of colleagues who are being discriminated against.”
The police soon expect the results of an investigation by Saniye Çelik, a lecturer in Leiden, which, according to Huyzer, shows that “proportionally more aspirants with a migration background leave because they feel unsafe. We have to get to work on that, because we desperately need agents with a migration background, especially in the big cities.”
The police also decided to appoint a special coordinator for racism and discrimination. The Utrecht commissioner Johan van Renswoude must ensure that the same standards apply nationally when dealing with racist cops. Huyzer: “All cases that come into play in this area will be settled centrally nationally. In this way, we hope to maintain greater control over the enforcement of the new standards and to develop uniform jurisprudence.”
The police also want to look at how managers can contribute to cultural change, says Huyzer. “The picture needs to be sharpened about what we expect from good officers. We cannot just reinforce the masculine image. That we only give a stage to officers who have made a spectacular arrest. The community police officer who does very good connecting work also deserves to be put in the spotlight.”
Interview Liesbeth Huyzer page 9
A version of this article also appeared in the newspaper of June 8, 2022