Largest police operation in Dutch history planned for NATO summit
The Netherlands will deploy 27,000 police officers for the NATO summit in The Hague on June 24 and 25, 2025. The operation, described as the largest security effort in Dutch police history, will require officers to work 46,000 shifts.
“This will be the largest security operation ever undertaken by the Dutch police,” said Willem Woelders, national commander for the NATO summit. “We are responsible for the safety of 45 heads of state and government leaders, 45 foreign ministers, 45 defense ministers, and 6,000 delegation members, along with ensuring the security of transportation and accommodations.”
The summit will include high-level meetings, press conferences, and official dinners, attended by 2,000 journalists. Police will be stationed in The Hague, Schiphol Airport, and along transportation routes between the airport, hotels, and the conference venues.
“Every police discipline will be involved,” Woelders explained. “The focus will be on specialized units, such as the mobile unit, security unit, and reconnaissance teams, as well as motorcycle officers tasked with escorting delegations.” Training sessions are planned in the lead-up to the summit to prepare officers for their roles.
The logistical challenges for the operation are immense. Officers will need access to transportation, meals, and accommodations. “Colleagues will require hotel rooms, and if a police vehicle gets a flat tire or communications go down, we need the capacity to fix it immediately,” said Woelders. “We have to ensure that the operation runs smoothly, which requires a massive support network.”
Support staff will play a critical role, according to Woelders, as will officers handling routine police work. “Those not directly involved in the summit will cover regular duties, which is just as important to the operation’s success. This effort affects the entire police force,” he said.
The demand for police personnel during the summit has already led to a reduction in resources for other events. Over the summer, the police urged municipalities to avoid scheduling major events near the summit dates. “The reality is that we need to be frugal with our resources during this time,” Woelders said. “It’s unfortunate that some events may not go forward, but we can only deploy each officer once.”
To ensure enough personnel are available, all police leave will be restricted during the summit. “This will help us maintain sufficient capacity to ensure the summit’s success while continuing essential police work,” Woelders stated.
