Police drop 32,000 cases due to staff shortages

The number of cases the police did not investigate has more than doubled in recent years. A spokesperson for the police leadership confirmed this on Sunday after reporting from NOS. Last year, the police dropped nearly 32,000 cases prematurely due to a shortage of police personnel.

In total, the police dropped 62,293 cases in 2021, compared to 25,700 in 2018. In addition to staffing problems, the police also decided not to investigate 26,000 cases because they did not have enough leads.

Some cases were also settled outside the criminal justice system, a spokesperson said. For example, some cases came to a conclusion through mediation.

“The reality is that we always have more cases than we can handle,” Hanneke Ekelmans of the National Police said to NOS. “But in addition, things have become increasingly complex in recent years.”