Pays-Bas

Law enforcement services in The Netherlands are managed by the Minister of Security and Justice. 

Reorganized into one single national police force in January 2013, the new National Police of the Netherlands, called ‘Politie’ in Dutch, is made up of 10 regional units, a Central Unit for specialist police activities and a Police Service Centre for all business operations. The new structure is characterized by strong cooperation within one organization, performed seamlessly at three policing levels: local, regional and national.

Force Command

The Force Command, which has a headquarters function, develops policy and makes strategic decisions at national level. Composed of the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioners and the Chief Information Officer, the Force Command is supported by the Commissioner's Staff.

Central Unit

Whilst each regional unit is operationally self-sufficient, the National Police includes one central unit which performs both independent and support tasks. Headed by a Chief Constable, the Central Unit is responsible for cross-regional and specialist police activities, including forensic investigations, canine and equestrian units and helicopter police.

Operational divisions of the Central Unit include:

• Central Operations Division: coordination, monitoring and steering of national police operations;
• Central Criminal Investigations Division: serious organized crime, sex crimes committed against children, environmental crime, terrorism and high-tech crime;
• Central Operational Cooperation Division: operational support and sophisticated technological services for covert activities. Includes the National Forensic Service Centre;
• Central Infrastructure Division: safety and crime fighting along the main transport arteries and hubs in The Netherlands;
• Central Security and Protection Division: protection of individuals, objects and services at national, regional, and local levels. Works closely with the National Coordinator for Security and Counter-Terrorism and the Public Prosecution Service;
• Special Interventions Division: serious violence and terrorism;
• Central Intelligence Division: coordination of law enforcement information in the Netherlands and its exchange at international level. INTERPOL The Hague is part of the Central Intelligence Division.

Regional Units

Headed by a Chief Constable, each of the 10 regional units is responsible for police activities in that region. Each unit includes:

• Regional Operations Division: the link between the regional police organization and the activities of the police on the ground;
• Regional Criminal Investigations Division: investigation of criminal groups and serious crime;
• Regional Intelligence Division: provides the Regional Unit with up-to-date information in the form of threat assessments and advice;
• Regional Operational Cooperation Division: conflict and crisis management, this division also functions as a service centre for calls from the public.

Each regional unit is geographically sub-divided into a number of police districts made up of precincts, referred to as ‘Robust Frontline Teams’, which serve the municipality or several small municipalities. The districts are the link between the regional level of the unit and the local level at which the frontline teams operate. All districts have a Criminal Investigations Team, an Intelligence Centre and a Flex Team.  District Flex Teams can provide temporary additional human resources to help frontline teams address specific events.  Their core task is to support problem-driven responses, both in public order and in criminal investigation.

Independent law enforcement bodies

In addition to the National Police, other independent national law enforcement bodies include:

• The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee;
• Customs;
• The Fiscal Information and Investigation Service;
• The Social Intelligence and Investigation Service;
• Intelligence and Investigation Service of the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate;
• Intelligence and Investigation Service of the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority .

INTERPOL The Hague

The INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) for The Netherlands works with all INTERPOL member countries, linking their investigations to Dutch law enforcement bodies and the public prosecution services. It helps INTERPOL NCBs worldwide to carry out investigations involving The Netherlands or Dutch nationals abroad.

The NCB, called the INTERPOL Desk as part of the Central Intelligence Division, operates as the national point of contact for domestic law enforcement agencies requiring help in international investigations.

It is made up of 12 people whose task is the swift and efficient exchange of sensitive information within the INTERPOL community, using INTERPOL’s secure global police network, I-24/7.