Police used excessive force in 343 incidents last year

The Dutch police did not “act professionally” in 343 incidents in which they used force against a suspect last year. That amounts to excessive force in 16 percent of incidents in which the police used violence. “We see an increase in this,” police Chief Frank Paauw said with the latest figures on violence by Dutch cops.

Paauw attributes the increase partly to the police being “critical of our actions.” According to him, that is a positive development. “Society can expect that we use violence lawfully and carefully.”

Police officers used force 35,542 times in 2023, 5 percent more than the year before. 2,421 of these were ”serious forms” of violence, such as shooting at the suspect or “violence in which a suspect sustained more than minor physical injuries.” That is a slight decrease compared to 2022.

Dutch cops used their firearms 1,888 times last year, mostly only to threaten a suspect. Officers fired 162 targeted shots. 129 of those shots were to kill a seriously injured animal.

“Citizens can also expect that we as police learn from our mistakes,” Paauw said. According to him, the police are constantly evaluating whether they can act more carefully or prevent violence. “For example, police officers must warn clearly before using force. That can prevent further escalation. We have also adjsuted the approach technique for potentially dangerous suspects. In the past, police officers routinely drew their weapons, but now they first make a decision about that.”