Bullying, sexism, alcohol abuse and discrimination in the Rotterdam Central Police

There is a “socially unsafe working atmosphere” among the police in the city center of Rotterdam due to “poor mutual etiquette” and “failures of leadership”. This is the conclusion of an independent investigation by the Rotterdam police following complaints from officers regarding discrimination, bullying and excessive use of force by the police. A spokesman for the police leadership spoke of the “unacceptable” situation. “It does not fit who we want to be.”

Serious disruptions to labour relations occurred at the Rotterdam Basic Team Centre, a team of around 230 agents working within an area of ​​5 square kilometres in the centre of Maas.

For some time, officers in the rank-and-file teams have been complaining about racism, discrimination, sexual misconduct, structural bullying at work and excessive violence on the streets. At the insistence of the Dutch Police Union, the top police leadership asked the Amsterdam-based Institute for Governance and Integrity to map the extent of the problem. The institute conducted a “team scan”, questioning 75 officers.

Dissatisfaction with the method

The results of the investigation were presented privately to members of the base team in late June. Sander van der Koot, a member of the department’s leadership, said he was “shocked” by the results, according to people present. The report has not yet been distributed to officials. Police officers can only read the investigation report under the supervision of their supervisors and are not allowed to take photos to prevent the information from being leaked.

Bully on the loose, victim sick at home

There is dissatisfaction within the Rotterdam police force about the department’s leadership’s long-standing tolerance of the problems discovered. No disciplinary action has been taken against the officers who made the mistakes. “The bullies are at large and the victims are sick at home,” said an officer in the team. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Six police officers involved in the case were interviewed and spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.

Several officers said they feared the police leadership wanted to cover up the complaints. One experienced agent said: “It is unacceptable that two team leaders who were responsible for the problems that arose and who largely turned a blind eye to the difficulties are now being put in charge of the ‘change process’.”

Tensions over bullying and misconduct boiled over late last year over the continued racist treatment of an officer of Surinamese descent who had served for more than three decades. Officers said colleagues said things like, “You must have eaten all the bananas again” when the fruit plate in the room was empty, or, “It’s already dark now” when he came in. The officer has been missing home ever since.

Wine in shopping bag

Officers also complain of sexism. Young female colleagues starting out in the job are sometimes explicitly assessed on their appearance and sexual prowess by older male officers. One officer talks about a kind of “bomb list” within the force. The squad’s annual “get-together day”, usually held in a catering tent in a square opposite Rotterdam City Hall, is often the site of incidents sparked by officers drinking too much. There is a budget for low-alcohol drinks, but officers bring their own alcohol in shopping bags. “It doesn’t work where we often have to take action against rowdy young people,” said one officer.

There were also disagreements over what colleagues considered an overly harsh approach to tackling nightlife violence. Some officers called the work area a “war zone”. Police actions often drew citizen complaints against officers because mobile phones were often smashed when they hit people on the thighs with batons. Police have now agreed to reduce violence.

WhatsApp Groups

In recent years, the Rotterdam police have often suffered from a bad reputation for the behavior of their officers. We found multiple WhatsApp groups where police officers made racist or sexist comments. Earlier this year, six employees of the company Detainee Affairs Unit Punished for “misogynistic and discriminatory” comments. One police officer was fired.

In 2020, police investigated nine officers for racist comments in WhatsApp groups Marconi Square Police StationCitizens with an immigrant background are called “cancer patients” who they want to “shoot”.

The officers who uncovered the ring in 2020 received the lightest possible disciplinary punishment from Rotterdam Police Chief Fred Westerbeke: a written reprimand. The chief said the punishment was imposed because research showed they were “good police officers who apologized sincerely.”

Westerbeck said he personally did not want to answer any questions about the situation at the base team centre. A police spokesman said the aim was to make the base team “a great place to work again” by “strengthening and supporting” management. “We are developing a long-term action plan to achieve a sustainable, safe and social working environment.”

share





Email the Editor