Research cited in the Frankfurter Allgemeine: 'Listige Polizisten in den Niederlanden' (Policing in the Netherlands: how to arrest suspects without violence)

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Policing in the Netherlands: how to arrest suspects without violence

 

Laura Keesman, assistant professor sociology at VU Amsterdam, conducted research on policing during violent interactions. Keesman’s study showed how Dutch police officers use tactics to arrest or apprehend suspects without use of force. For instance, by reading into immediate futures of situations, using bodily-spatial positioning and orchestrating an element of surprise. Contrary to common understandings, the study indicates that cleverness rather than violence governs situations and enlightens how officers use non-violent tactics to overpower suspects, avoiding physical combat. The study was recently cited in the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine to discuss that whereas in the US police violence often escalates, Dutch law enforcers tend to use non-violent tactics to arrest suspects.