Nearly all police pass marksmanship review, but 2,400 miss test

The Netherlands' police officers performed well in their competency tests last year. 99.7 percent of the 34 thousand gun-carrying officers passed the marksmanship test. And 90 percent of the more than 29 thousand officers taking part in the physical fitness test passed, the police announced. Those who did not pass the marksmanship test could take it again immediately. If they then still did not pass, other duties - such as administration or support functions - are assigned to them until they received extra training and passed the test. Some 2,400 police officers did not participate in the marksmanship test last year due to illness or other unforeseen circumstances. Fewer officers took the physical fitness test. This is partly also due to medical reasons, but mostly because non-participation has no consequences until the end of this year, even though the test was made mandatory last year. The police first wants to see whether the standards set in the test are sufficient. At the end of the year the police will decide whether passing the physical ability test will be a prerequisite for taking the marksmanship test.