The National Police is going to monitor what confidential information police officers look up in internal computer systems. In this way it wants to prevent sensitive data being passed on to criminals by corrupt officers. In its own words, it is about software that should "detect striking search behavior within police systems at an early stage." This is what the National Police told NRC. All employees were informed of the plans last Friday via the intranet.
Headlines about corrupt officers passing confidential police information to criminals for a fee are nothing new under the sun. In 2019, police launched 178 investigations in which confidential police information may have been passed on. A total of 68 police officers received disciplinary action for leaking, misusing or withholding information. This happened 71 times in 2018, and 50 times the year before.
The National Police has consistently failed to prevent leaks of confidential information. It has now come up with a solution. For the past year and a half, the Amsterdam Police Department has been experimenting with a monitoring system that sends a signal when "atypical signals" are detected. The system enables the police to "identify possible misuse of information better and faster," the organization writes in an announcement on its intranet. The goal is to roll out the monitoring system gradually, so that the search behavior of all 65,000 police employees will be monitored by the end of 2021.
The National Police says the monitoring system is not just to detect corrupt officers. In fact, the police want to prevent "improper use of police information" at all levels. Suppose your daughter comes home with a boyfriend, you're not supposed to run his name through the police database. Or that, out of curiosity, you look to see if someone in your neighborhood has a criminal record.
NRC writes that there is mixed reaction internally to plans to introduce the monitoring system next year. One officer states to the daily that "past results have made this necessary." Others warn of big brother is watching you practices.
Jan Struijs, president of police union NPB, has his doubts about the system and would rather see officers checked after the fact. "If there is continuous looking over your shoulder, it can affect the relationship of trust with your employer. The harder you work on the street, the more questioning you do. Hard workers will have to answer more," Struijs told NRC.
Loes Thissen of the Central Works Council (COR) also questions the plan, fearing the police are focusing too much on their own organization. "It's good to counter threats from outside by looking at where data are queried at crazy times. It's also good to try to counter leaks from within. But it shouldn't turn into a hunt for servants."
Taco Vrolijk, as project manager primarily responsible for implementing the monitoring system, tries to calm tempers by saying that the system is not aimed at individual officers, but at protecting confidential information. If the system identifies an anomalous pattern, it does not automatically mean that a police officer is in trouble. In each case, the supervisor assesses whether there is reason to proceed to follow-up steps. Someone who continues to work on a case in their spare time will not be reprimanded. "Should there be suspected neglect of duty or criminal leaks, the usual disciplinary process will follow," Vrolijk said.
This is not the first time the police have been in the news because something is wrong with their systems. Last month, Bits of Freedom claimed that the police systems do not comply with current rules on privacy and information security. For example, police officers who are promoted often retain their powers, giving them access to information that is not needed to perform their duties. Also, data is often kept too long and it is unclear whether current security measures are adequate to protect information.
According to the advocacy group, both citizens and the police face enormous risks from lax security. If the police do not take action, the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens should intervene and possibly impose fines. "It is too crazy for words that the police have been getting away with this for years," Bits of Freedom argues.
