Dutch police to be harsher on racist cops; Could face dismissal

The police will act more strictly against racism and discrimination within the organization, NRC reports based on a statement by 80 high-ranking police officers. For example, cops who are racist against colleagues could face dismissal instead of a reprimand. The stricter approach will be distributed internally among the police on Wednesday. 

"We want to be the 'police for everyone.' And yes, we will do better. But whoever crosses the line will always feel it. A sanction should always follow. Always. And where necessary, dismissal," the newspaper quoted from the statement. It was prompted by the 2Doc documentary De Blaauwe Familie on KRO-NCRV last month. In it, cops and former cops spoke about how their colleagues intimidated, harassed, and discriminated against them because of their skin color or origin. 

The new approach is a lot tougher than the current policy. Over the past years, cops guilty of racist statements were often reprimanded or transferred, as happened with Rotterdam officers who sent racist messages in a WhatsApp group. Whistleblowers were bullied away, promoted, or dismissed. But the time of racist officers continuing as usual after a "good conversation" with their superiors is over, deputy police chief Liesbeth Huyzer said to the newspaper.

"Excuses, like it happened under the guise of work pressure and blowing off steam, are no longer accepted. Discrimination, racist behavior, exclusion: it must always have consequences. It does not mean that dismissal always follows, but it is the starting point from which we assess the violation," Huyzer said. 

The police also appointed Utrecht Commissioner Johan van Renswoude as the special coordinator for racism and discrimination in the organization. He must ensure that the same standards apply nationwide when dealing with racist cops.