NS to arm some enforcement officers with batons in two-year trial

The Dutch government has approved a plan allowing NS to arm some of its enforcement officers with batons. A maximum of 75 NS officers will be authorized to carry them during a two-year pilot program set to start next spring.

According to an NS spokesperson, the company employs roughly 680 special enforcement officers. These are not the conductors, but the staff in yellow vests who help secure stations and trains. This means just over one in ten will soon be authorized to carry a baton.

It is unclear what the batons will be used for. The NS has called for the batons due to the violence against its employees. Last summer, the railway company submitted a request to the Ministry of Justice and Security to that effect.

“This debate has been ongoing within NS for quite some time,” the spokesperson explained. “Some employees feel that carrying a baton doesn’t fit the nature of their work.”

The boa’s receive training before they are given a baton. The aim of the trial is to determine whether the new gear can prevent incidents or help keep them from escalating. “A baton could also assist during arrests, even without using force,” the spokesperson noted. “At the moment, our officers often have to rely solely on their hands and feet to restrain someone.”

Itai Birger, director of social safety at NS, welcomed the decision, noting that employees are facing more incidents of violence. “NS has long been cautious about arming staff with batons,” he said, “but we now want to see whether this measure can enhance safety.”

Caretaker State Secretary for Public Transport Thierry Aartsen called the trial “a good and necessary step toward improving safety in and around trains.” According to the State Secretary, an average of three NS employees are threatened, intimidated, or subjected to aggression every day.

The union representing enforcement officers says NS’s planned baton trial isn’t needed. Union chair Richard Gerrits of BOA ACP argues that previous pilots have already demonstrated that equipping officers with batons leads to less violence against them.

“It’s ridiculous that another trial is needed,” Gerrits said. “We’ve known for a long time that allowing officers to carry a baton, pepper spray, and a body camera makes their work safer.”