DutchNews.nl - Police chiefs attack cuts

A conflict is looming between police chiefs and home affairs minister Guusje ter Horst over her plans to cut spending on the police, Nos tv reports on Thursday.

The proposal to cut police budgets by €190m a year from 2013 will lead to personnel cuts of up to 4,000 out of 52,000 police officers, police chiefs say.

The cuts are part of government plans to get its finances back in order following the economic crisis.

The chairman of the police chiefs' committee Leon Kuys told Nos radio he was 'very concerned' about the cost-cutting.

Police chiefs point out that five of the country's regional police divisions are already under official supervision because their finances are in a bad state.

However, a spokesman for Ter Horst said the police calculations were 'nonsense'. 'Everyone agrees that the savings will not cost jobs and there will more officers on the beat,' the spokesman told Nos.

The minister believes the savings can come from increased efficiency and by digging into police force reserves.

Nos says the minister is angry that police chiefs have spoken out while talks between them and bigger city mayors about how to make the cuts are still ongoing.

If the police force is to be reduced, I think only to the extent where savings come from reduced regulation.

By Hans | August 27, 2009 3:42 PM

52,000 police?? i personally will volunteer my time and expertise teaching seminars to the police on how to achieve maximum efficiency within the context of their job description. i see so much wasted resources that i am sickened to my stomach at the expansion of the hole in the ozone layer just from the emission output of all the police vehicles carrying these 52000 police around (not counting bicycles) while inefficiently executing their jobs. This type of community service, by the community, for the community, can pull our law enforcement reputation out of the dark ages and into the intelligent future. If this does not work, then I agree that firing as many police as possible will help to balance the deficit in the national budget, and if that means we keep firing them until we go from the red, into the black, then it is our duty.

By michael crain | August 27, 2009 6:04 PM