Liesbeth Huyzer announced to be the new deputy chief of police

Liesbeth Huyzer will step into the shoes of Henk van Essen as the new Deputy Chief of the National Police, the police service announced over the weekend. Huyzer, who joined the police force in March 2017, is known for speaking out against what she asserts to be systemic racism and discrimination within the police force, a topic which Van Essen discussed this week after taking over as the Chief of the National Police.

According to Van Essen, Huyzer will make a good fit for the position due to her wide administrative acumen. "Liesbeth knows the political-administrative playing field very well, has a broad network and is focused on cooperation, both within and outside the police. In short, a valuable clue," the Deputy Police Chief said of his successor.

Huyzer started her career in 1984 as a legal policy officer at the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Fisheries, where she rose to become sector head within the Legal Affairs Department. After years in civil service in a wide range of functions, Huyzer joined the Amsterdam-Amstelland police force in 2005, and became the police chief for Noord-Holland district eight years later. She continued her gradual rise up the ranks before clinching the title of Deputy Police Chief on Saturday.

"I am proud of all those colleagues who are ready every day to serve society," she said. She pledged her commitment to listening to members of the police force individually and as a team, saying her appointment was a top honor for her.