Samenvatting

The ideologies of community policing are central to the work of the Dutch police. The aim is to combine a focus on relations with the community with law enforcement, including the use of physical force. The balance has shifted, however, in favour of social relations. This article reports on the findings of a recent study among executive police officers. It is shown that the physical demands of police work are neglected in the selection and education of policemen and -women. Furthermore, there is a need for improving the training of standard procedures and interventions with respect to the use of physical force. In addition, it is found that a majority of the respondents feel that the use of force – in a correct way and in appropriate situations – is underappreciated by those in higher positions, while at the same time the issue of avoidance behaviour is not addressed.