Several cops investigated for anti-institutional extremism
The police are currently investigating multiple cops for anti-institutional extremism, a spokesperson confirmed to NU.nl. The employees believe the conspiracy theory that the world is ruled by a secret “evil elite.”
The spokesperson could not say how many cops were under investigation. “This is because the concepts that fall under anti-institutional extremism are quite broad,” they told the newspaper. “And because there may be several courses of action that give rise to an exploratory or disciplinary investigation.”
Police officers, like all Dutch, have freedom of expression. But they also have to take an oath of office, in which they promise neutrality when they start working for the police. “Everyone in the Netherlands is free to think what they want. Police officers also have their own views, but in their work, they must be neutral.” The oath promises loyalty to the Dutch King, constitution, and laws. “Behavior or expressions that conflict with this are not compatible with working for the police, even if you say or do it in your private time.”
Just yesterday, the anti-terrorism coordinator NCTV, intelligence service AIVD, and police warned about a growing group of people who consider themselves “sovereign.” People in this group also believe in the “evil elite” and tend to turn their backs on government institutions. They also often distrust science and the media.
According to NCTV, the group of “sovereigns” isn’t so large that they pose a real threat, but the fact that their number is growing is concerning. Government institutions like the Tax Authority, municipalities, and the Electoral Council have received “thousands of letters from citizens who emphatically try to place themselves outside society,” the report said.
The authorities said that the majority of “sovereigns” have a non-violent past, but there have been recent incidents of intimidation and threats to local politicians, civil servants, and journalists, among others. There have also been some violent confrontations with police officers and bailiffs, and the authorities notice that some are preparing online and physically to defend themselves in the violent battle they expect with the “evil elite.”
Action group Control Alt Delete, which combats ethnic profiling by the police, among other things, finds the fact that the police can’t say how many of its officers are under suspicion of anti-institutional extremism very remarkable. “Apparently, far-right views have been so normalized that the police themselves do not recognize them,” the organization told NU.nl.
The AIVD told NU.nl that it was not specifically investigating any police officers with extremist ideas. “In the context of investigations, we may encounter police officers,” a spokesperson said. “But it still depends on the assessment of the threat whether we decide to conduct further investigation.”
