‘Being open about statistics on use of force creates positive dynamics’

Following years of increasing figures, the number of instances of use of force by the police seems to stabilise. In 2024, police officers went to the scene of over three million incidents. In 36,151 of these cases they used force. For comparison, this occurred 35,989 times in 2023. The police used force in fewer than one percent (0.74%) of all the reports for which they attended the scene. The police used firearms less frequently than previous years. These are some of the outcomes of the report Geweldsaanwendingen door politieambtenaren in 2024 (“Use of force by police officers in 2024”).

‘Over the past five years, we have seen a constant rise in the use of force by the police’, said Bas Mali, who is a researcher at the Netherlands Police Academy. ‘For the first time, we see a stabilisation in 2024 compared to 2023. How can the rise in the previous years be explained? It wasn’t that the police were using more and more force. It’s mainly that the police started to register cases much better. An important part of this rise can be attributed to force used against objects. An example of this is kicking open a door to enter a building. That type of force was not always registered correctly in the past.’

Positive dynamics

‘It’s a good thing that the police are transparent about their use of force’, said Bas. ‘That’s because it creates all kinds of positive dynamics. When you publish these figures, you know there will be a response. Critical questions will be asked, which the police must answer. That is a good thing. You need critics to become better. It also creates a dynamic within the organisation, because people in the police know that these figures are published annually. This creates the pressure required to change course if necessary. And that ensures that we continue to learn lessons from the use of force.’

‘The use of firearms has decreased annually since 2020. This is partly because the police have started to look at this more critically. Most instances of firearm use involve aiming a weapon and keeping it aimed, without actually using it. This may occur during a so-called felony stop, for example, when police officers try to persuade potentially armed suspects to get out of their vehicle. Police officers are now being taught that, in such cases, instead of aiming their gun, they can also keep their hand on their holster or hold their weapon without aiming it.’

Assessing use-of-force records

Bas also sees a point of criticism in the figures. ‘Every instance of the use of force is assessed by an assistant public prosecutor. In some cases, an additional investigation is required, but this proportion is decreasing year on year. Despite this decrease, the target periods set for completing such additional investigations are not always met, and this does not help the process of learning lessons from those cases. The reasons for such delays are not always clear. Perhaps we should also think about the system itself and place greater emphasis on learning lessons from the use of force besides assessing whether it was justified.’

On the right track

However, Bas wishes to stress the positive side. ‘Force was used in only 0.74% of incidents attended by the police, so it’s rare. Nevertheless, when force is used, it’s crucial for the police to do it correctly. The police’s use of force directly affects the level of trust the public has in them. Trust is necessary for the police to have authority. By being open about these statistics, the police aim to do the right thing. Which is not to say that we mustn’t be critical, but we do have to give each other time.’

‘This subject was very much underreported in the past. The police adopted this new approach in 2019. We’ve come a long way, are on the right track and can see that things have improved. This report provides food for thought on how to improve things further.’