NS and GVB concerned about plan to remove police from Amsterdam CS | Inland

The NS and transport company GVB are concerned about the plan of the Amsterdam city council to remove the police post at Amsterdam Central Station. They fear the effects this decision will have on the safety of travelers, staff and the city, the public transport companies write in a letter to the city council. Trade union FNV speaks of an “ill-considered and incomprehensible plan.”

“Mayor Halsema apparently still has to get used to the fact that Amsterdam is a cosmopolitan city, which includes a safe public transport hub. Your own police station is an absolute necessity, ”said the union.

Capacity shortage

The reason for removing the police post at CS is the capacity shortage of the police. According to a spokesman for the mayor, there are too few agents to fill the rosters and therefore choices have to be made. The triangle of municipality, police and Public Prosecution wants to deploy the officers in the basic teams. The spokesperson says that agents will remain active at the station and that it is also regulated in the other major cities.

More incidents

The transport companies believe that the number of travelers – which is currently limited due to the corona virus – will increase again. And it is precisely because of corona, according to the NS and GVB, that the number of incidents has increased. They also refer to the role of the police in the 2018 terrorist attack on the station, in which two American tourists were stabbed. The perpetrator was shot by a policeman. The companies also fear that police deployment without specific knowledge of public transport will lead to more and greater disruptions in public transport.

The NS and the GVB therefore want to maintain the current working method and ask the council members to make a case for this. The council will discuss this with the mayor on Thursday.

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