National police force plans to be changed

Thursday 14 June 2012

Justice minister Ivo Opstelten is prepared to adjust his plans for a national police force to allay fears in the Senate that it could become too powerful.

The government is preparing to merge the 25 regional forces into a single national police force with 10 regional divisions. Policing currently falls under the home affairs ministry.

Opstelten told the senate he will change the plans in order to strengthen the justice ministry's control of the police and include parliament and local government in the management of the national force, reports the Telegraaf.

The changes will see the justice minister setting the national police force budget and overseeing its annual financial report. He will also decide how many agents are allocated to each of the 10 regional divisions.

The budget and manpower allocation will be put before parliament, and local government officials will be given more say in the areas they want the police to focus on, the minister said.

Last year the mayors in Dutch cities said they do not want a national police force, fearing they will lose control of policing activities.

The changes will be made once the Senate has passed the plan, which will then have to go through the whole parliamentary process again.

© DutchNews.nl