The Amsterdam police have dismissed four officers for participating in WhatsApp groups where offensive and discriminatory messages were shared. A total of eleven police officers were involved in the inappropriate messaging, most of whom were part of the Amsterdam force.
In May, the police announced their intention to dismiss the four officers due to these messages. The advisory committee has now confirmed that the dismissals are justified.
Penalties for seven other officers in the groups are also finalized. Six officers face conditional dismissal and must undergo a ‘behavior and integrity training program.’ One officer received a reprimand.
The penalties were based on the level of involvement and severity of the messages shared. Nine officers were placed on non-active duty in February, one officer was suspended, and another was reassigned.
The WhatsApp groups were revealed during two criminal investigations. The Public Prosecution Service previously decided not to prosecute the officers for discrimination as the statements were made in a small, private group.
Amsterdam police chief Peter Holla stated that the messages were “terrible and discriminatory,” causing harm to the individuals mentioned and significantly damaging public trust in the police. Last year, six officers in Rotterdam faced disciplinary action for misogynistic and discriminatory messages in a WhatsApp group, resulting in one dismissal and conditional dismissals or written warnings for the others.
Source: NOS