Police bulletproof vests, shields stolen in Drenthe; Major concerns about criminal use
Thieves stole bulletproof vests and shields from the police in Drenthe. The Noord-Nederland police are very concerned that criminals will use the stolen items, which were built to withstand heavy gunfire, policed spokesperson Thijs Damstra told Dagblad van het Noorden.
According to Damstra, specialized protective equipment was stolen from police vehicles in Assen and the police training center in Zuidlaren on two occasions. “These types of items are extremely popular among criminals, just like the theft of uniforms. You can pretend to be a police officer with them,” he said.
The first theft happened during the night from Friday, January 31, to Saturday, February 1. Unknown persons broke into several police cars that were parked at a body repair shop in Assen and stole the bulletproof vests that were stored in the vehicles.
A week later, during the night from February 7 to 8, thieves broke in at the Police Training and Education Center (POTC) in Zuidlaren, stealing bulletproof vests and ballistic shields.
The shields and vests with ceramic plating are built to withstand gunfire and are typically used by the police when confronting armed and dangerous suspects. According to the newspaper, the police fear that the items will be used in a prison break. Damstra wouldn’t comment on that specifically.
“The investigation is being conducted across the board, but it is worrying, given what you can use this for and in which circles these are popular products,” Damstra said. The police took extra security measures and instructed officers to be on high alert after the theft.
