Dutch police union DNP has called for a major investigation into police corruption. DNP chairman Jan Struijs told Dutch radio on Thursday that he is concerned that senior officials are too naïve and unaware that the police have become more vulnerable to corruption.

‘We are no longer in the 1990s,’ he said. ‘Corruption is no longer about the police officer being approached by someone at the gym.’

On Wednesday the NRC reported that a senior police officer in Eindhoven had been suspended for possible corruption involving contracts for surveillance equipment. Currently five police officers are either suspended or being held in custody in connection with corruption investigations.

The biggest involves an officer known as Mark M, who is said to have sold secret information to criminal gangs for several years.

Pressure

In particular, police officers with an ethnic minority background are being put under pressure to leak information, Struijs said. ‘They are being told “you are one of us, give us information”. I’ve had reports from colleagues about this and I want to know more.’

Justice minister Ard van der Steur should now start an in depth probe into corruption, so the police can learn from their mistakes, Struijs said. ‘This is especially important as we plan to recruit 15,000 new officers in the next 10 years.’

Dismissals

RTL news said in December that between 2012 and 2014, 15 police officers were punished for leaking information to criminals but only 10 of them were sacked.

The information passed on to criminals included tip-offs about raids on marijuana plantations. In another case, an officer was engaged to a drugs gang member and one was named in an investigation into a gangland killing.

In total, some 60,000 people work for the police.