The Hollowing Out of the Dutch Police Force
June 23, 2026 · Frisian News
Dutch police lost 2,800 officers in 2025, more than half within five years of joining. Administrative bloat and low pay drive the exodus, leaving working-class neighborhoods with longer response times while the budget grows.
The Dutch police lost 2,800 officers in 2025, more than half of them within five years of joining. The attrition rate has nearly doubled since 2020. Police leadership blames stress and low pay, but the real story involves choices made far above the rank-and-file.
Young officers spend half their shift filing reports, meeting diversity quotas, and sitting in meetings about anti-racism training. The work they signed up for, responding to calls and knowing their neighborhoods, has been buried under administrative dross. A 2025 police union survey found 70 percent of officers said they spent too much time on compliance work, not enough on policing.
The shortage hits hardest in small towns and working-class neighborhoods, where response times have stretched to 45 minutes or more for non-emergency calls. Wealthy suburbs, by contrast, retain better coverage. Policing becomes a service for those who can afford private security to supplement it.
The budget went up 15 percent in real terms over five years, yet officers say they have fewer resources than before. Where did the money go? Consultancy contracts, new headquarters buildings, and expanding specialist units that operate far from street-level crime. The bureaucracy was not trimmed to make room for frontline hiring. It was expanded.
A smaller, thinner police force serves interests beyond crime prevention. It cannot investigate deeply, cannot build community trust, and cannot push back when politicians demand ever more intrusive powers. The political right talks about law and order. But a force that cannot function is a force that cannot say no.
Published June 23, 2026 · Frisian News