PVV push for palm-printing suspected criminals

The PVV wants the police to make palm-prints of suspects more often so that they can use it to solve more thefts and burglaries. According to PVV Parliament Member Lilian Helder, this is an existing, inexpensive and effective means to deal with perpetrators. "The police have the equipment but make use of it far to seldom. In 2007, 27 thousand prints were made of palms, but in 2013 there were only 750", she says. According to Helder, this is because the rules were tightened in 2010. "They may now only be taken from suspects if it is relevant to their case. But even then it does not happen enough", she says. On Monday, in a meeting with Minister Ivo Opstelten of Security and Justice, she will insist that the use of this means be increased, just like fingerprints. She also wants people who has burglary equipment on them, to be arrested immediately, preferably through summary proceedings. Currently the police can not arrest such people "while it is clear that they intend to break in somewhere".