Agents used more force last year than the year before. This is stated in a report that the police published on Wednesday. In East Brabant, violence even increased by 24 percent. After Limburg (plus 42 percent), East Brabant is the most striking outlier.
It is the fourth year in a row that police brutality has increased. In East Brabant, the number of reports rose from 1611 to 2003. In the Zeeland-West Brabant unit, the number rose from 1093 to 1318. Nationally, there were 20,667 violent incidents, an increase of 18 percent.
Why the number of incidents is so high in East Brabant remains unclear. “That has not been investigated. An explanation could be that more is happening in this area,” says a spokesman for the East Brabant police.
There are national statements. A possible explanation for the increase in the violence figures is that attitudes in society are hardening, the police say in the report. “Citizens and the government have come to stand against each other more and more. The many protests mean that violence is becoming more frequent.” According to the police, more action should also be taken against people with confused behaviour.
Paauw is satisfied with the arrival of the electroshock weapon in 2022. “The electroshock weapon is a valuable addition. In three-quarters of the cases, threats are enough to get the situation under control. That means less injury and less violence.”