The regional mayors and the police have issued a position paper calling on the government to invest in strengthening the police. Mayor Reinders has informed the municipal council about this. (Archive photo of the municipality of Stichtse Vecht).
In a letter to the municipal council, Mayor Reinders writes: ‘This call was made in the form of a position paper called ‘Close and decisive’, drawn up by regional mayors and the police.’ According to Mayor Reinders, dissatisfaction and polarization in society are growing, and more and more people are showing confused behavior on the street. In addition, there has been an increase in cybercrime and an explosive increase in the number of drug-related violent incidents.
Mayor Reinders in the letter to the city council: ‘As a result of this hardening of drug crime, we are also increasingly seeing threats against politicians, prosecutors, journalists and lawyers, among others, when carrying out their duties. To meet these social challenges, a stable basis is needed, and that requires necessary investments in the police organization.’
The Stichtse Vecht-De Ronde Venen basic team strives to guarantee supervision and enforcement tasks, such as high-priority reports, at all times. Mayor Reinders: ‘In cases where there are shortages in operational strength, it has so far not been possible to find appropriate operational solutions without jeopardizing the supervisory and enforcement tasks.’ Reinders continues: ‘A second important principle is sufficient space for area-oriented police work, whereby the local police officer is enabled as much as possible to connect with residents, entrepreneurs and social organizations in his neighborhood.’
According to Reinders, the staff in the basic team is tight, but the police are still able to implement the principles of police work in Stichtse Vecht: ‘Nevertheless, the structural shortages in our Central Netherlands unit are palpable, as shown by requests for assistance. from other basic teams within our unit.’
In total, the mayors are asking for an additional 400 million euros for the police, of which 200 million for structural deficits and another 200 million for social expenditure.