According to a report by the NRC on Wednesday, serving police officers in the Netherlands have made 30 formal reports about racist or discriminatory comments made

by their colleagues in the past six months. This is the first time that an overview of such complaints within the force has been provided, and many of the reports were made by senior officers.

Acting national police chief Liesbeth Huyzer has stated that the number of complaints registered so far is not important, but rather what matters is that colleagues are reporting such incidents, that the police are investigating them thoroughly, and that they are reacting to them appropriately. She added that those who cross the line will always feel the consequences of their actions.

The most recent report involved an officer in The Hague who was sent home last week after making "extremely inappropriate comments" on social media. The officer is an active member of the far-right PVV party and was a candidate in the local elections last year. Huyzer said that banning police officers from joining democratically elected political parties was neither possible nor desirable, but more should be done to ensure they carry out their duties in a neutral way and respect the constitution.

Although the number of police officers who are members of the PVV is unknown, research suggests that police officers lean more towards the right, according to Huyzer. Several police officers stood as candidates for the party in the 2022 local elections.

Last year, Huyzer stated that police officers caught making racist remarks will no longer get away with just a "good chat". "The most important message is there will always be some form of sanction, and if necessary, redundancy," she said at the time.

Earlier this year, six officers from Oost-Nederland were suspended after footage emerged of them involved in racist chanting in Paris. This incident sparked outrage and calls for stronger action to be taken against racist behavior within the police force.

The reports of racist and discriminatory behavior within the police force highlight the urgent need for change and reform within the institution. The police play a crucial role in upholding the law and maintaining public safety, and it is imperative that they do so in a fair and impartial manner.

The Dutch government has already taken some steps to address this issue. In 2020, the government established a task force to investigate racism within the police force and develop strategies to combat it. The task force's report, published in February 2021, made several recommendations, including improving the diversity of the police force, implementing anti-discrimination training for police officers, and strengthening accountability mechanisms for officers who engage in racist behavior.

However, there is still much work to be done. The police force must take a hard look at its culture and address the systemic issues that allow racist behavior to go unchecked. This includes addressing the lack of diversity within the police force and ensuring that officers are held accountable for their actions.

In conclusion, the reports of racist and discriminatory behavior within the Dutch police force are deeply troubling. It is imperative that the police force takes swift and decisive action to address this issue and work towards building a fair and impartial institution that upholds the rights of all citizens. Photo by Dickelbers, Wikimedia commons.