Dutch caretaker Interior Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin has placed the financial affairs of half of the police forces in the Netherlands under ministerial supervision.

He says 13 of the 25 police forces have poor financial prospects and insufficient reserves. The measures mean they will only be able to spend within their budget over the next few months. Any other costs will have to be approved by the ministry.

The Interior Ministry will look into how to balance the forces’ books. One of the main costs to be scrutinised is salaries. In a letter to The Hague’s Mayor Jozias van Aartsen, the minister explains that the different police forces have radically different financial policies. Some, for instance, are not at all concerned whether or not they are employing too many officers.

Mr Hirsch Ballin complains that many financial details of the various police forces remain unclear. He wants to make it easier to compare their financial performance.

On Tuesday, the minister announced he would be taking a look at business trips made by police chiefs in order to check they are a justified part of their work. Some trips appear to be simply expensive team-building exercises. One such trip to San Diego and another to Morocco, cost 70,000 and 92,000 euros respectively.

In January, former interior minister Guusje ter Horst assured police forces they would not face cuts, in spite of the huge savings the next government will have to make to reduce the budget deficit. Now it looks as if the caretaker minister is looking to the police to reduce expenditure, without affecting the service to the public.
 

© Radio Netherlands Worldwide