The number of incidents in which officers of the Northern Netherlands police unit used violence has risen for the third consecutive year. In 2022 there were 1,576 cases in which officers felt compelled to use force. By way of comparison: in 2019 there were 916 incidents.
Sometimes several officers use force during the same incident. The total number of violent interventions is therefore higher. Last year there were 2,351 in the North.
The increase in the use of force by police officers fits in with the national picture. Compared to 2021, 12 percent more interventions were made last year with, for example, a stun gun, a baton or pepper spray.
In at least more than half of all cases (56 percent), police officers used force without using this type of force. A firearm was used in about 5 percent, while officers used handcuffs in 3 percent of the violent interventions.
A possible explanation for the rising violence rates is the further polarization of society. “Citizens and government have come to stand against each other more and more. The resulting greater number of protests is leading to more violence. In addition, a possible cause may also lie in the large number of incidents involving people with confused behavior,” said writes the police.