National police Less bureaucracy, more quality More scope to do the job and a dynamic presence on the streets National police | August 2011 Making the Netherlands safer ‘A national police force will be established under the responsibility of the public safety minister.’ The above excerpt from the coalition agreement (October 2010) announced a major operation with far-reaching consequences for our police system: the creation of a national police force. The implementation of this plan has already begun. The new organisation is beginning to take shape, but not everyone is aware of this yet. Therefore, we would like to familiarise you with our plans for a more efficient and effective way of delivering public safety which gives individual police officers more scope to do their jobs. In this leaflet you can read why a national police force is necessary and how the new organisation will be structured. With the help of the national police newsletter and the web portfolio at www.rijksoverheid.nl/nationalepolitie, you can stay informed about the formation of the national police force and other current police issues. This will give you an overview of the development of the national police force as it takes shape. Ivo Opstelten Minister of Security and Justice Public safety and policing are key How is the national police force organised? The management hierarchy and the division of responsibilities The government wants to change the police organisation so that police will change. As of next year there will be a single national police officers can devote more time to safety on the streets. The plan is for the force (comprising 10 regional units), one or more national units national police force to be up and running by 1 January 2012. (such as a national crime squad) and the police service centre (a national agency for operational management tasks). At present, the police is organised into 25 regional forces plus the Dutch Police Services Agency, each with its own chief. These Minister of Security and Justice will be replaced by a national police force, consisting of ten The Minister of Security and Justice is politically accountable for regional units. This has a number of advantages: the national police. The Minister approves the budget and sets • The police can work more as a single unit if everyone is parameters within which the force will work, deciding issues accountable to one national police commissioner. such as whether there should be ticket quotas. • The police can spend more time on street patrols and investigative work. National Police Commissioner • There will be less red tape for both the police and the public. A single police commissioner will be in charge of the national (For example, reporting crimes will be made easier.) force and its 10 regional units. • Officers will spend more time on policing than on paperwork. • The various subdivisions of the police will be able to work Regional units together more quickly and effectively, thanks primarily to Ten regional units will be created to handle policing. Each unit automatisation. will be headed by its own chief. • It will be possible to handle IT, housing, purchasing and HR centrally. This will lower operational management costs (i.e. One or more national units overheads). There will be at least one national unit to handle police duties that can best be performed at national level (e.g. an arrest team and/or national crime squad). Police service centre A police service centre will take over the operational manage- ment tasks of the current forces and the Dutch Police Cooperation Facility. These tasks include HR, housing, IT and financing. Local authority Authority over the police will not change. As before, the mayor and the public prosecutor will make local agreements about the deployment of the police. Every municipality will draw up a public safety and security plan, on which basis the mayor will manage the police. Progress of the bill In order for the national police force to become a reality, the National police: Less bureaucracy, more quality Police Act 1993 must be replaced. To this end a bill was submit- More scope to do the job and a dynamic presence on the streets ted to the House of Representatives in 2006. That bill is currently being amended. All official documents relating to this bill can Less bureaucracy: be found on www.rijksoverheid.nl/nationalepolitie. The goal • Making it easier to report crimes is for the national police force to be operational by 1 January • Speeding up standard cases 2012. • Reducing the number of forms and protocols More quality Stay informed • An organisation that functions as a unit National police newsletter • Responding quickly to the demands of the public The Ministry of Security and Justice publishes a regular newslet- ter on the latest developments surrounding the formation of the More scope to do the job national police force and other relevant and topical police • Police based close to the local community issues. The national government website contains a section on • Well-equipped and trained police officers the police where you can find all relevant publications and the • More scope for police work, less desk paperwork latest news (www.rijksoverheid.nl/nationalepolitie; Dutch only). A more dynamic presence on the street: • Transparent management structure: one minister and one national police commissioner • Clear rules for deployment, on the basis of a locally approved public safety and security plan 25 politieregio’s 1 nationale politie met 10 regionale eenheden 1 Groningen Noord-Nederland 2 Fryslân Oost-Nederland 3 Drenthe Flevoland-Utrecht Now:4 IJsselsse landad 25 police 2012: Noord-West-HollandNoord West Holland A single national 5 Twentewente Schiermonnikoog AmsterdamAmsterdam 6 Noord- en OoOostst-Gelderland-Gelderland Ameland Eemsmond Haaglanden 7 Gelderland-MiddenGelderland-Midden Terschelling De Marne Roerdam-Rijnmond 8 Gelderland-Gelderland-ZuidZuid Dongeradeel Loppersum Ferwerderadiel Winsum Appingedam Zeeland - West-BrabantWest-Brabant Kollumerland en Bedum regions9 UtrechtUtrecht Nieuwkruisland Delfzijl police force with 10 Ten Boer het Bildt Dantumadiel Zuidhorn Leeuwarderadeel Oost-BrabantOost-Brabant 1010 Noord-Holland-NoordNoord-Holland-Noord Slochteren Vlieland Groningen Groningen Grootegast LimburgLimburg Menaldumadeel Achtkarspelen 1 Oldambt 1111 Zaanstreek-Waterland Leeuwarden Tytsjerksteradiel Leeuwarden Franekeradeel Leek Harlingen Haren Hoogezand- Menterwolde 12 Kennemerlandennemerland Marum Sappemeer Littenseradiel Smallingerland 1313 Amsterdam-AmstellandAmsterdam-Amstelland Veendam Bellingwedde Wûnseradiel Boarnsterhim regional units Noordenveld 2 Tynaarlo Pekela 1414 GooiGooi en Vechtstreekechtstreek Texel Bolsward Sneek Opsterland Stadskanaal 1515 HaaglandenHaaglanden Assen Aa en Hunze Assen Wymbritseradiel Ooststellingwerf Vlagtwedde Skarsterlân 16 HollandsHollands MiddenMidden Heerenveen Den Helder Nijefurd 1717 Rotterdam-Rijnmondotterdam-Rijnmond Wieringen Borger-Odoorn Gaasterlân-Sleat Weststellingwerf Midden-Drenthe 1818 Zuid-Holland-Zuid Anna Paulowna Lemsterland Westerveld 19 Zeelandeeland Zijpe Wieringermeer 3 Schagen 2020 Midden-Midden- en WeWesstt-Br-Brabantabant Niedorp Harenkarspel Steenwijkerland Coevorden Emmen Andijk 2121 BrBrabantabant-Noord-Noord Medemblik Wervershoof Enkhuizen Noordoostpolder Meppel De Wolden Hoogeveen 10Opmeer Stede Broec Langedijk 2222 BrBrabant-Zuid-Oostabant-Zuid-Oost Heerhugowaard Urk Bergen (NH.) Hoorn Drechterland Koggenland Alkmaar 2323 Limburg-NoordLimburg-Noord Alkmaar Staphorst Heiloo Schermer 24 Limburg-Zuid Zwartewaterland Hardenberg Graft- Beemster Castricum De Rijp Zeevang Kampen Dalfsen 2525 FFlevolandlevoland Uitgeest Zwolle Ommen Zwolle Heemskerk Wormerland Purmerend Beverwijk Edam-Volendam Dronten Lelystad Lelystad Velsen Hattem Zaanstad Zaanstad Oostzaan11 Waterland Oldebroek Landsmeer 4 Twenterand Haarlemmerliede Elburg 12 en Heerde Tubbergen Bloemendaal Spaarnwoude 25 Haarlem Amsterdam Hellendoorn Haarlem Amsterdam Almere Raalte Dinkelland Almere Olst-Wijhe Zandvoort Almelo Zeewolde Wierden Heemstede 13 Diemen Harderwijk Nunspeet Borne Muiden Epe Amsterdam Oldenzaal Haarlemmermeer Weesp Rijssen-Holten Hillegom Ouder-Amstel Naarden Huizen Losser Amstelveen Ermelo Noordwijkerhout Abcoude Bussum Blaricum Deventer 5 Aalsmeer Lisse Hengelo Uithoorn LarenEemnes Putten Noordwijk Hof van Twente Bunschoten Enschede Voorst Enschede Teylingen Loenen 14Hilversum Hilversum De Ronde Venen Wijdemeren Baarn Nijkerk Katwijk Kaag en Braassem Apeldoorn Oegstgeest Apeldoorn Lochem Leiden Nieuwkoop Amersfoort Amersfoort Leiderdorp Breukelen Barneveld Haaksbergen Leiden Soest Wassenaar Maarssen 6 Voorschoten De Bilt Zutphen Leusden Zoeterwoude16Alphen aan den Rijn Brummen Woerden Leidschendam- Rijnwoude Zeist Scherpenzeel Berkelland Bodegraven Voorburg Boskoop Woudenberg Den Haag Utrecht Ede Den Haag Utrecht Zoetermeer 9 Montfoort Renswoude Waddinxveen Reeuwijk Bunnik Rozendaal Bronckhorst Rijswijk IJsselstein Utrechtse Heuvelrug Pijnacker- Oudewater 7 Rheden Gouda Nieuwegein Veenendaal Doesburg Westlan15d Nootdorp Arnhem Zuidplas Houten Arnhem Oost Gelre Delft Lansingerland Wijk bij Duurstede Renkum Lopik Zevenaar Vlist Rhenen Wageningen Winterswijk Midden-Delfland Vianen Westervoort Doetinchem Capelle aan Schoonhoven Maassluis Schiedam den IJssel Ouderkerk Bergambacht Culemborg Duiven Zederik Buren Roerdam Vlaardingen Krimpen aan Nederlek Liesveld Overbetuwe Montferland Aalten den IJssel Leerdam Neder-Betuwe Lingewaard Oude IJsselstreek