Investigation into Midden-Nederland police officers for racist messages

Four employees of the Midden-Nederland police have allegedly made discriminatory and racist comments on social media. As a result, the VIK (Safety, Integrity and Complaints) department of the police has launched an investigation. Three of the employees were immediately suspended from duty during the investigation and one was sent on special leave.

According to the police, the comments the employees made on social media circulated in messages they had written on their private X (formerly Twitter) accounts. The messages were discovered by the police on Friday. They contained "hurtful and inappropriate language that could be considered discriminatory, racist and unprofessional", police said.

However, the number of messages involved and when they were written has not been disclosed.

"We are a police force by and for everyone," said acting police chief Michel de Roos. "Offensive and inappropriate comments that could be considered discriminatory or racist from colleagues on personal social media accounts are unacceptable."

It is not the first time that police officers have been discredited for (online) statements. Earlier this year, the Rotterdam police started a disciplinary investigation into employees for misogynistic and discriminatory messages in a WhatsApp group. Furthermore, the Oost-Nederland police fired and punished officers in July for racist comments they made while in a van to Paris of which a video had been made.