Severe assaults, dealing with confused people and long evening shifts in the catering industry: officers have to deal with it day in, day out. From small to large matters. In the series Bossche Blauwe, Omroep Brabant gives a look behind the scenes at the police in Den Bosch. And that is desperately needed, according to the officers themselves. “People often don’t understand how we work.”
Did she want to participate in a police series? Local police officer Marieke Bakermans didn’t have to think about that for long. “I immediately thought it was a great idea. I am proud of my work and it is important to show what choices you have to make as an agent.”
Marieke has now worked for the police in Den Bosch for almost her entire career. She knew from an early age that she wanted to become a cop. “After high school, I immediately went into the medical examiner’s office. That was good for me. The police really raised and shaped me.”
Big village
Local police officer Bart Gallé has also been walking around the Brabant capital for almost ten years. “Den Bosch actually feels like a big village. That ‘we-know-us’ feeling is still there.” He previously worked as a local police officer in various parts of the city, but now, like Marieke, he is mainly active in the city center.
“One moment I’m standing somewhere talking very flatly, the next moment I notice that I have the hot potato in my throat again,” Marieke chuckles. “That’s Den Bosch.”
Watch Bossche Blauwe
Marieke and Bart were featured this year in the Bossche Blauwe serieswhich can also be viewed on Brabant+.
In the series, Omroep Brabant gives an insight into the daily work of police officers in Den Bosch.
Marieke and Bart find it difficult to pinpoint highlights from the series. Restraining a rebellious man in the cell, avoiding drunken men who ask if they can ‘a kiss on the mouth’, or taking an old acquaintance home: it all happens. “The funny thing is that it doesn’t feel that exciting to us,” says Marieke. “I’ve been a cop for so long that many situations have become normal.”
“What is shown on TV is almost a piece of cake for us,” Bart adds. “That’s how things go almost every day.”
Closed organization
Still, they think it is important that the series is there. According to them, showing police work from a different angle is necessary. “Society is hardening and polarization is increasing,” says Bart. “Often there is not even room to have a quiet conversation with each other. The police can sometimes be quite a closed organization, so it is good that this series is there.”
“You often only see short fragments on social media,” Marieke adds. “Then it seems as if officers are acting harshly or aggressively, but people do not see what preceded it. It is precisely those considerations that are important to show.”
In addition to raising awareness, it is also fun for the officers to give the home front an insight into their work. “I often say to my children in the morning: ‘Mommy is going to catch crooks again’,” laughs Marieke. “Now they can really see what I do. They were very proud.”
“They know the stories from the kitchen table, but normally have no idea of my work,” says Bart. He also received many responses. “From family, from my girlfriend, but also from neighborhoods where I was previously a local police officer and from partners with whom we work.”
Recognized on the street
The two notice during their work that the series also has an effect on the street. They receive a report about someone who may be dealing and head over. In the dark they see a boy. “He didn’t want to cooperate at all,” says Marieke. He also refuses to show his identification.
Then the man looks again. He hesitates for a moment. “Hey, you’re in Bossche Blauwe,” he suddenly says. “Suddenly he wanted to talk to us and gave us his ID,” laughs Marieke.
“The first days were a bit uncomfortable,” says Bart. During his work he suddenly had to take a cameraman into account. “But I got used to it and I enjoyed telling my story. We were able to show what we do in our own way, it was a fantastic experience.”
