The police are experimenting with a policy of random searches on the streets of Amsterdam in response to the rise in juvenile gun crime, but the police union opposes the involvement of civilian observers.
To allay concerns that the search will involve racial profiling, a civilian monitoring team has been deployed to report any suspicious patterns.
But the police union—annoyed by what they thought was an insult to its professionalism—in turn deployed its own observers to observe civilian observers.
“We think it is unacceptable to have civilian observers,” said the Dutch chairman Jan Struids. police Association, after meeting with the mayor of Amsterdam Femke Halsema. “This encourages distrust, and there is no reason to doubt the trust of the police. The mayor thinks so too.
“As the police union, we will send professional observers from our own team,” Struis added. “We will also make our own report because we have no confidence in these civilian observers.”
Within a month from Wednesday, the police were conducting a “preventive search” in five areas of the city where there was evidence of increased gun ownership: Bijlmer-Centrum, Burgwallen Nieuwe Zijde, Geuzenveld, Dapperbuurt and Waterlandpleinbuurt.
The plan was criticized Amnesty International, Insist on using monitors as a safeguard against racial profiling. In a survey conducted by local authorities in 2020, more than half of the interviewees stated that they believe this profile played a role in their contacts with the police.
After a recent meeting with Halsema, an Amnesty International spokesperson stated that measures have been taken in the right direction to respond to its concerns about the policy, of which 45 civilians were used to supervise the police.
A spokesperson for Amnesty International said: “For example, in the trial starting today, every countless passerby will be checked.” The radical movement that occurred.”
Halsema faces opposition from the majority of the Amsterdam City Council to the initiative, but she stated that it is necessary given the increase in criminal activity involving guns.
Passersby, luggage and vehicles will be searched. If requested by the police, you must participate. Children under 12, families and people over 65 will not be searched.
