‘Size does matter’: Dutch police get longer batons

The long arm of the law has just got longer.

From Wednesday, 45,000 police in the Netherlands will be armed with a new weapon: an extendable baton 11cm longer than the old model.

Michael Huis, a police instructor, told the NOS Journaal programme that the new baton could really make a difference.

‘Size really does matter,’ he told the NOS. ‘In keeping off a group of rioters, an 11cm baton has proven to perform better. It really makes a difference if colleagues need it in certain situations.’

The new weapons were chosen to replace existing police batons after trials showed that they gave a more powerful punch and had more of an impression as a deterrent.

Police also have guns and pepper spray at their disposal, but their reaction to the new weapon has been positive.

‘I think you can give people a shock from afar…and if people see it they will really think twice, ‘ said Kahlil Bots, a community policeman, to the NOS.