Police capacity issues: Fewer pickpocket checks during Canal Parade

Fewer police officers will be watching for pickpockets during the Canal Parade in Amsterdam on Saturday, a police spokesperson confirmed to AT5. They blamed the decrease on capacity problems at the police.

The Canal Parade is one of the highlights of the Queer & Pride event in Amsterdam. It attracts tens of thousands of people to the capital every year, as well as countless pickpockets. Last year, the officers from the police’s “flex team” caught 18 pickpockets red-handed. The flex team works in plain clothes and is specialized in recognizing pickpockets, among other things.

This year, fewer officers will be deployed in the flex team. “As a police organization, we have been struggling with major capacity problems for some time now,” the police spokesperson told the Amsterdam broadcaster. “Certainly, in a year in which a lot has already been asked of our people, this presents the necessary challenges.”

The police’s main focus, with its available capacity, is safety. “That means that sometimes different choices are made than in previous years.” The spokesperson stressed that this doesn’t mean no cops will be keeping an eye on pickpockets. “There will still be plainclothes officers working on Saturday, and colleagues on the street will, of course, also pay attention to signs of pickpocketing.”

The police and municipality are also putting effort into the “preventive aspect of pickpocketing,” the spokesperson said. Text carts will warn parade attendees to be vigilant. People can also do a lot themselves. “For example, don’t put your phone in your back pocket. You might be able to grab it more easily, but of course, that also applies to thieves.”