Amsterdam’s police officers will not arrest women defying a ban on burqas, according to the Dutch capital’s police chief Bernard Welten.

Legislation banning the face-covering Islamic veil is set to go to parliament in the near future. Speaking on a television programme, Mr Welton pointed out that police have room to manoeuvre when enforcing the law.

“I think we’d definitely talk to a woman wearing a burqa. But as a policeman or woman, you should always think for yourself.”

Mr Welten doesn’t believe politicians would force the police to arrest women in burqas. “I don’t think it will come to that.” He believes MPs will give serious thought to how the legislation - which is part of the government programme - will be enforced.

Leeway
The minority government is supported in parliament by the right-wing populist Freedom Party (PVV). The burqa ban was one of the conditions the PVV insisted on for that support. PVV MP Hero Brinkman says the police chief’s comments betray “old-fashioned politics”. Speaking on radio, he said for years police chiefs have been abusing the leeway to implement the law using their own discretion. He believes this will change under the current rightwing government.

The conservative VVD, part of the ruling minority coalition, is also angry at Mr Welten’s remarks and is insisting he take them back. One VVD MP says the police chief cannot choose which laws he enforces. Mr Brinkman points out that Mr Welten’s term of office is almost at an end and that the police force is to be reorganised. This will leave only one national police chief who, he believes, will enforce legislation in the way parliament has ruled.

Animal cops
A day before his burqa ban comments, the Dutch capital’s police chief also criticised another PVV-inspired piece of planned legislation, this time for specially trained police to combat cruelty to animals. The new 500-strong force, which he dubbed the “guinea-pig police”, will have to come from current resources and Mr Welten complained that present policing capacity was “already stretched”.

Amsterdam child abuse
“If you're going to retrain 500 officers, I know what I’d like to train them to do,” said Mr Welten, referring to a recent child abuse and pornography case in the capital. The case has highlighted the shortage of detectives trained to combat child abuse. The mayors of Amsterdam and Venlo have come out in support of Mr Welten, saying that animal abuse should not be a priority. Dion Graus, the PVV MP who first proposed setting up the animal cops, says the criticism is “a disgrace” and describes Mr Welten as a “pen-pusher”.

A police spokeswoman has meanwhile tried to play down Mr Welten’s remarks. “We don’t have the legislation yet,” she said and, while admitting she was no supporter of a burqa ban, she insisted that “we have to wait for the legislation”.