Abuse of police, prison guards unaddressed

Two new inspections show that there are serious flaws when it comes to addressing violence against police officers and prison guards. According to the Inspectorate, during training too little attention is paid to violence against officers and they are not well prepared for verbal aggression. Officers work to long and take too little rest. The Inspectorate has found violations at 49 police stations, including the units of Amsterdam, The Hague and Oost-Brabant. Three units were fined because the officers are given too little rest and work too long on night shifts. The conditions for prison staff are not much better. Because many prisons are being closed, well trained staff are leaving and work often goes to temporary employees. This makes for a greater risk of violence, says the Inspectorate. Verbal aggression is rarely reported. This is worrying because "verbal aggression can lead to psychological problems such as depression". Inspections in ten prisons and two detention centers also show that employees do not get enough rest.