Amsterdam stalls stop-and-search plans

An Amsterdam proposal to experiment with stop-and-search actions in the fight against gun violence in the city has been postponed. The experiment will only be discussed again after a planned weapons hand-in campaign in November, Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema said in a short letter to the city council.

Halsema announced the plan to experiment with stop-and-search late in August, following a number of violent incidents that month. Left-wing parties in the city immediately raised concerns. GroenLinks, D66, DENK, PvD and Bij1 requested an emergency debate on the matter.

That debate was set to happen this week. But on Tuesday, Halsema said that she first wants to discuss the conditions of the experiment with the Amsterdam police and Prosecutor again. 

"On closer inspection there is more reason to work out the conditions of the experiment in the triangle [of mayor, police and prosecutor] first," Halsema said in her letter. After that, she will discuss it with the city council.