Journalist | Editor | Chairperson | Germany expert / correspondent | in Hilversum & Berlin
Police are reassigning staff
Hundreds of sex crime cases are piling up at the Central Netherlands Police Department, and the backlog just won’t get any smaller. Last week, a former sex crimes detective posted a statement on social media, expressing his frustration over the heavy workload.
Ulrike Nagel in the RTV Utrecht studio Ulrike Nagel in the RTV Utrecht studio discussing sex crimes
Summary
Journalist Ulrike Nagel discusses on RTV Utrecht the enormous workload and chaos facing the Central Netherlands Sex Crimes Unit due to a staff shortage and a growing backlog of unsolved sex crimes.
Workload at the Sex Crimes Unit: Hundreds of sex crime cases, including rape, sexual assault, incest, and child pornography, remain unsolved on the desks of the Central Netherlands Police. A former director expressed his frustration on social media about the high workload, absenteeism due to illness, and the lack of oversight [00:07]. The police acknowledge the problem, which has existed for years [01:02].
Scale of the Problem [01:20]: There are 233 unsolved sex crimes. Although the number of reports remains stable, investigations are becoming more complex due to digitization. Crimes are increasingly committed online (dating sites, shared videos), which requires more digital investigation and manpower and leads to longer processing times [02:07].
Short-Term Solutions [02:54]: As a temporary solution, the Central Netherlands sex crimes unit will receive 24 additional full-time equivalents (FTEs) in September. However, these staff members are being transferred from other departments (including drug enforcement), which merely shifts the problem rather than providing a structural solution [03:09].
Lack of Prevention: The union argues that the problem should have been anticipated as early as 10 years ago [05:07].
Staff Shortage: The most important solution is to hire more staff. The field of sex crimes investigation must be made more attractive through campaigns and improved progression within the training program [04:31]. Last year, for example, there were only four spots available for 20 applicants to the sexual offenses investigation director training program [04:51].
Unjust Dismissal? [03:25]: The former director who raised the issue was dismissed. He suspects this is related to his homosexuality and a culture of intolerance within the Central Netherlands Police. The police are not commenting on this, as it is a personnel matter [03:31].
Ulrike Nagel in the RTV Utrecht studio discussing sex crimes
Background
Sixty employees work in the sex crimes unit. In September, the police force will receive 24 additional full-time equivalents (FTEs) to help clear the backlog of sex crime cases more quickly. Wim Hoonhout: “Speed comes at the expense of thoroughness, which is something we obviously want to avoid, so I can’t say how quickly we’ll be able to resolve these cases. What matters is that we can help the victims as quickly as possible so they can move on, because these are, of course, very traumatic cases. It’s highly undesirable for so many cases to remain unresolved.”
According to the ACP Police Union, the problem has been around for at least ten years. Chairman Gerrit van de Kamp: “We’ve had a shortage of police personnel for years, not just in Utrecht, but nationwide. It’s true that 24 FTEs are being added now, but they’re being taken from other departments, such as the narcotics unit. And that throws the entire force out of balance. There will be shortages for the next four, five, or six years, and the government has knowingly and willfully caused this. So I hate to say it, but this is unsolvable. They should have anticipated this ten years ago, and that didn’t happen.”
