First, we still see police officers consulting the ANG police database for special purposes. Just think about relational problems, research at the request of friends or out of curiosity, etc.,” explains Frank Schwermans of the Police Information Oversight Authority (COC).
In addition, police officers who have committed crimes themselves ensure that their official reports are excluded from the database. “When they themselves come up with illegal findings that have been officially reported, we sometimes see that these PV values are not included in the database. In other words, their crimes cannot be found in them.”
There are no exact numbers, “but based on what we’ve seen, we fear this is not an isolated practice,” Schwermans says. “In the Metropolitan Police Force, banning PVs appears to have been the practice for many years.”
With this report, the COC wants to create awareness within the police forces and the relevant authorities. We hope for a ministerial directive, letter or service note denouncing the practices. The rules applicable within the police services must also be reminded.
