VVD proposes €75 million boost for police after violent riots in The Hague
The VVD party is calling for 75 million euros in additional funding for Dutch police and the introduction of minimum sentences for attacks on law enforcement following anti-immigration riots in The Hague last Saturday. The party reportedly plans to announce the proposals during a parliamentary debate on the disturbances.
To fund the measures, VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz said the party would reallocate money from development aid. She expects support from the right-leaning majority in the Tweede Kamer.
Yeşilgöz stated that the additional funding aims to enhance the riot police's equipment, which includes air-powered weapons. "They ask for this themselves. Currently, they only have batons or firearms," she told RTL Nieuws. She also proposed arming officers with colored projectiles and body cameras, as well as outfitting water cannons with paint to aid in identifying suspects.
In addition, the VVD wants to introduce minimum sentences for anyone attacking or threatening police officers. "It bothers me that rioters like those on Saturday can get away with community service. We really want to establish minimum sentences here. So you know that if you attack police and are caught, you serve at least months, maybe even years, in prison," Yeşilgöz said.
The proposal comes after criticism of a judge from The Hague court who recently handed much lighter sentences to fourteen rioters than the Public Prosecution Service had requested.
Yeşilgöz also emphasized the need to crack down on doxing, a criminal act where images of people are posted online with identifying information. "Doxing is extremely threatening. It puts our officers in serious danger. It cannot be that the men and women keeping us safe on the streets are not safe at home," she said. She wants online platforms to remove such content quickly, ideally within an hour, and to notify police when doxing occurs.
