Police Commissioner: preparation, collaboration and professionalism have paid off
Police Commissioner Janny Knol and the Commander of the National Crisis Team of the Netherlands Police, Willem Woelders, look back on a NATO Summit that was highly successful from a police perspective. ‘Thanks to our thorough preparations, our close collaboration with national and international partners, and the professional drive of our personnel, we have succeeded in ensuring that the Summit proceeded safely and without interruption.’
During the NATO Summit, 27,000 police professionals were deployed. They collaborated closely with military personnel, employees of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee and numerous other partners. Commissioner Janny Knol: ‘Police professionals from all over the country have worked closely together. For many of them, the preparations for the Summit were very intense. Everything went according to plan, both on the streets and behind the scenes. This would not have been possible without all of the colleagues who went the extra mile for the Summit, whether at their normal place of work or elsewhere in the country. That’s why I want to take this opportunity to thank all police colleagues for the excellent and professional way in which they did their job in the last couple of days.’
‘This Summit has allowed us to really showcase our capabilities’, Willem Woelders says. ‘A safe and orderly Summit was our top priority. I’m more than happy that no significant incidents occurred, and that all attendees and police personnel can now return home safely. They did exactly what they had to do. In the past few days, there were several moments when delegations informed us of special requests. We managed to accommodate them on each occasion. Improvising is the strength of our police force. It has been an honour for all of us to be involved in the NATO Summit, and for us as Force Command Team to be able to see the police in action under these special circumstances.’
Duties
During the NATO Summit, police personnel from all over the country have guarded facilities, monitored our beaches and cities, ensured safety during protests, kept roads open, provided their colleagues with accommodation, food, and well-functioning IT and communication systems, and escorted numerous delegations in motorcades. The latter required an impressive number of motorcycle police officers, who worked virtually non-stop to enable hundreds of transport movements in recent days.
Support
Over two thousand police support staff have been working during the Summit in various roles. Together, they were responsible for an enormous operation that ranged from the planning of thousands of shifts to arranging 28,000 overnight stays in hotels. Support staff were present non-stop at 37 locations in The Hague and far beyond to provide police personnel with uniforms and equipment, resources and materials. They developed tailor-made training courses for all colleagues from elsewhere in the country. All IT programmes and services were tested in advance, cleaned up and continuously monitored. A complete CCTV monitoring facility was moved from regional police headquarters to De Yp police station in The Hague especially for the Summit. In addition, we managed to ensure that hundreds of motorcycles, vans and other resources were in working order before the Summit started.
Investigation
Arson is suspected to have caused the damage done to cables near the railway in Amsterdam in the night of Monday 23 June to Tuesday 24 June. This caused major disruptions to rail traffic. The exact circumstances and possible connections with the NATO Summit are still under investigation. In the night of Saturday 21 June to Sunday 22 June, damaged cables were also found near the World Forum. Camera footage showed a fox to be the culprit in that instance.
‘Everybody did a great job, both in front of and behind the scenes’, Woelders concludes. ‘Whether in operational or support roles, the police showed their true nature: professional, vigilant, friendly and helpful. We’ve demonstrated to the Netherlands and the world at large that we’re capable of handling a security operation of this magnitude.’
