The police communication system C2000 has failed again during an incident in West Brabant. This time it happened on Thursday evening in Bergen op Zoom. Officers who wanted to call for reinforcements during an arrest were unable to contact the control room. An officer was injured by a punch to the face.
Several officers who were involved in the incident have reported to Maarten Brink, spokesman for the four police unions. “The agents are angry and incensed, because it is known that the coverage of C2000 in this part of West Brabant is substandard,” said Brink.
“He has a black eye.”
The problems arose after a collision at the Markiezaatsweg and Van Konijnenburgweg intersection. According to a witness, the perpetrator drove on. This 22-year-old man from Bergen op Zoom was arrested elsewhere. A 27-year-old man intervened.
A confrontation ensued and an officer trying to hush up the case was hit in the face by one of the brawlers. The 27-year-old man was subsequently arrested. “I don’t know how the agent is doing now, but he certainly has a black eye and back pain,” says Maarten Brink
“Agents were in a tight spot.”
According to him, agents wanted to communicate with each other and the control room via C2000 during the incident, and that did not go smoothly. “Colleagues were in a tight spot because it was not possible to call in reinforcements.”
Exactly one week ago, Brink also sounded the alarm about the failing communication system. During a major police operation in which three young robbers were arrested after a manhunt in nearby Rijsbergen, C2000 also failed. “That really creates unsafe situations and is unacceptable.”
“Last Wednesday there was also an incident with C2000.”
The problems with the communication system are not recent. “This has been going on for years and is structural,” says the union man. “Last Wednesday, an agent also reported to me from Breda, where C2000 also failed.”
Brink does not dare to say to what extent the failing system had an influence on the mistreatment of the officer in Bergen op Zoom. “But it certainly didn’t help and just shouldn’t be possible.”
