New police chief Jenny Noll: “Police must participate more explicitly in public debate”

“I’m still smiling,” says Janny Knol (54). This is the first thing the police chief, who took office four months ago, notices during her greetings. As she says, Knol is having a honeymoon period as head of the national police force of around 65,000 police officers, and she’s doing well. It’s a happiness that contrasts with the usual. Opinion Her predecessors, Gerard Bouman, Erik Akerboom and Henk van Essen, described the position of police chief primarily as a dog’s job. “It’s a very good job,” she assured.

End of 2023 moved Noel, then chief of police for the eastern region of the Netherlands, moved to the national police headquarters in The Hague. She became the first female chief of police. From then on, an apartment in The Hague became her base a few days a week, and the rest of the time she worked from her home in Deventer, where she lived with her two teenage daughters.

Noll, who has worked in the police department for more than three decades, began her new job by speaking extensively to administrators, scientists, entrepreneurs, magistrates and colleagues to gather ideas on what to do with officers who are now in their teens. National Policethe largest employer in the Netherlands. She documented her findings and plans in sixteen pages of internal notes: Stand firm between society and the rule of law. “I think as police chief I can contribute to the next step in the evolution of the police,” she declared.

During the interview, the police chief spoke candidly about her driving practices. “Sometimes I tend to be overambitious.” She believes that one of the most important tasks is to ensure that the police remain connected to society. In today’s increasingly polarized society, citizens continue to trust law enforcement. “As a police force, we are asked to ‘be vigilant and helpful’, and all our cars state this mission. But at the end it should be added: ‘rule of law values’. That must be the identity of the police. Citizens must be able to conclude from our actions that they are being treated and treated fairly.”

The police chief said that in recent years, “upholding human dignity” has often gone wrong. There have been incidents in several areas where officials, for example, in WhatsApp groups, Discriminatory Making racist comments about citizens or colleagues with an immigrant background. “I find this inhumane. It makes me angry. It undermines people’s confidence in the police.”

Another important issue, according to Noll, is respect for the right to demonstrate. “Whether it’s a demonstration against Zwarte Piet, climate issues, farmers’ protests or conflicts elsewhere in the world: it all depends on how we act. It’s very important that the police protect the fundamental right to demonstrate.”

Sometimes this can go wrong, such as what happened in Staphorst in November 2022. Activists from Kick Out Zwarte Piet were attacked by an aggressive crowd on their way to a protest announcing the arrival of St. Krashen. The judge ruled that the police did not adequately protect demonstrators from rioters. Justice and Security Inspectorate after.

“The relatively small group of demonstrators who came to Staphorst deserved better police protection. We should do everything we can to achieve this. If other parties violate this right, damage cars, stop people and insult them, then we should take action.”

exist Main Agreements The new government said it “will urge the OM, local authorities and the national police to take decisive action when demonstrators cross the line of the criminal law.”

How should we act decisively?

“I think it would be better to ask our Minister of Justice. We, as police officers, adhere to our tasks as set out in Article 3 of the Police Act: to maintain law and order and to provide help to those in need. The police must continue to think for themselves which tasks are appropriate for us. In a triangle, the prosecution and the mayor decide on the principles and the police implement them. But the police also have a responsibility to show the authorities what is happening in society and what the most appropriate solutions are.”

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Noll found it shocking that in recent Students protest Israel’s actions in Gaza University administrators did not know how to deal with their own protesting students and teachers.

“As a society, we have forgotten how to listen to each other and ask questions. Unrest requires that we can’t just sit in our own bubbles and complain about other people. We need real dialogue. The police can play a very important role there, as a bridge to arrange dialogue. We are not the solution, but we can show what is happening.”

However, sometimes the police are powerless in a heated society and the police are severely hit. Noel is “very worried” about this. She recently spoke to 20 officers from The Hague who were present at the scene in “flat caps” riot This was during a celebration by the Eritrean community in February. “The violence against them is extremely shocking. It is boundless. The officers feel like they are nothing. Their uniform makes no difference. They live in fear of death.”

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The new government declared national security its “number one priority.” It pledged to “take tough action against all those who threaten our freedom and security.” It then listed more than four dozen topics that deserved more attention, from taking a tougher stance on organized crime to “tough action against all forms of street terror.”

Relieved that work is now a priority?

“The cabinet believes that security is important. I am satisfied with this. I want to discuss with the justice minister how we want this to be implemented. The police do not want to be given more tasks. We have to make more choices,” said Noel, who will meet the new justice minister David van Weer (VVD) for the first time later this week.

“In recent years, the police have really played a role in combating organized crime. The way the Taji organization was handled deserves a deep bow. Our high-tech crime team is state of the artThe whole world sees what we do. I’m very proud of it. But it’s also important to play a role locally in fighting common crimes. We also need to pay more attention to Rising Star in crime. If you recognise them at the first intervention, you may be able to keep them away from crime. There are teenagers out there taking a package from A to B and receiving €800. For someone who earns €8 an hour in a supermarket, that’s a lot of money. If you intervene promptly with the community team and consult with teachers and youth workers, it can be very valuable.”

In the eastern Netherlands, Knol reached an agreement with prosecutors on the following matters that will not be prosecuted: growing up to 200 cannabis plants, shoplifting, animal cruelty and fraud up to €2,000. Rinus Ott Recently mentioned this Nuclear Regulatory Commission “A very appealing direction.”

Should such agreements also be reached nationwide?

“Yes, the prosecution is rethinking its expediency principle: what does it want to prosecute? I really want this too, because it helps us to be more selective in our work. The use of criminal law has to be more selective. For example, you have to talk to big companies like Ahold or Jumbo about finding the right solution for shoplifting.”

In her policy memo, Noll outlined how the way criminals are caught has changed dramatically over the past decade. Today, crimes and other violations are less visible but have significant impacts on the economy, the environment, the internet and democratic constitutional states. “Digital crime accounts for a growing share of total crime, and offenders and victims are often not physically close to each other – we have become accustomed to this and have adjusted our approach accordingly.”

My suggestion is to ask 112 at the same time: “Are there any psychological or social problems?”

The police chief is also concerned about young people hanging out in “digital hangouts” such as TikTok and Telegram groups. These are often venues for cyberbullying and platforms for videos to be posted to humiliate young people. “Some young people are growing up online in a moral vacuum. This unregulated web needs police functions. We also need connections online. The government is completely ignoring this right now.”

It is not easy for the understaffed police to carry out such new tasks. More and more police are tasked with monitoring and protecting people and maintaining public order during large-scale demonstrations.

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A major problem facing the police is the increasing amount of time officers spend reporting people behaving in a disorderly manner. These reports have risen from 80,000 to 140,000 a year in ten years. According to the new government, these tasks should be “transferred to other organizations with expertise in the issue.”

“The coalition agreement states that this work should be taken away from the police, but it does not say where it should go. This concerns a large group of vulnerable people who have lost control of their lives, are harming themselves or others, or are causing public disorder. They require care that the police cannot provide. Police officers sometimes find themselves in situations where they have to use force, but this is not appropriate for this target group.”

Sometimes this leads to the police being prosecuted. Eight Rotterdam police officers will soon have to stand trial for the murders they suffered last year. severe Will attack a confused person, causing his death.

Does this worry you?

“Yes, it’s terrible. It’s terrible for those who deserve other care and for my colleagues who are being persecuted. In my opinion, there should be a fourth person in the control room. If you call the emergency number 112, you are now asked: Do you need the police, the fire brigade or an ambulance? My advice is to also ask: “Are there psychological or social problems?” Then you must be able to be referred to, for example, a psychiatrist who can estimate what needs to be done based on his expertise. If there is no threat of violence, the police will not come here. If the other party is unsuccessful, the police will come to help. But the police do not take on this issue.”

So who?

“Care in the Netherlands is very fragmented: from addiction care to youth care. There should be a coordinated crisis service that determines where people are best to go, based on expertise,” Noll said, before adding, somewhat threateningly. “I’m not going to drop this topic.”

Noll believes that the police have an “antenna function” in society and must also participate more explicitly in public debates, determining which topics should be on the political-executive agenda. “The police have a lot of knowledge but are still too reluctant to share it and not self-aware enough. We do this to the detriment of society.”

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