Police in The Hague fire PVV-supporter cop for discrimination on social media

The Hague police have dismissed a police officer for making “very inappropriate statements on social media.” His posts on X, formerly Twitter, were discriminatory, incited violence, and constituted a serious dereliction of duty, the police said in a statement.

According to NRC, the cop in question is Norbert S., a police officer for 25 years and a member of the police works council. He has also been an active PVV member for years. On X, he mainly spoke out against asylum seekers and the D66. He often reposted posts by fellow PVV members and kindred spirits like Geert Wilders, Martin Bosma, and Filip de Winter.

For example, after reports of incidents involving migrants, S. advocated for more frequent use of firearms by the police against them. “Just shoot back until we no longer see these types of images on social media,” he once posted, according to NRC. “It is time that there is also an upward trend in the use of firearms by the police.”

On 26 March 2023, when the police announced that they suspended six cops for shouting “fewer, fewer, fewer” at Moroccan passersby in Paris, the Hague cop posted in support of the suspended officers. A day earlier, he posted about climate demonstrators: “They are criminals, and we must lock them up.” On March 22, he posted about Muslims: “I do not accept Islam. Such are the rules of my faith.”

After a disciplinary investigation, the police concluded that the cop’s statements via his X account could be classified as stigmatizing, discriminatory, hurtful, insulting, and incitement to violence. Early this year, the police submitted their intention to dismiss the cop to the Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights and the Functional Performance of Civil Servants (AGFA). The committee said the posts could be considered a “serious dereliction of duty that can be attributed to the civil servants.”

The officer told the police that he considered his dismissal “a disproportionate measure.” He said posting on X was “an outlet” during a “mentally difficult period.” He is trying to improve his life and also closed his X account.

Karin Krukkert, the head of The Hague police unit, called dismissal the only appropriate action. “Expressing discriminatory, insulting, and hurtful messages for years in a row via a publicly accessible account on social media does not fit with the norms and values that we as the police strive for. That is why there is no longer room for this employee in our organization,” she said.

During the disciplinary investigation, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) determined that several of the cop’s posts could be punishable. The OM has not yet made a decision on whether he will be prosecuted.