Police organisation
Politie
One national police force for the Netherlands, headed by one Commissioner, comprising ten Regional Units, the Central Unit and the Police Services Centre.
At a glance
- Official name
- Politie
- Commonly rendered in English as
- Netherlands Police — a rendering in common use, not the organisation’s own name.
- System
- Netherlands
- Level of government
- National
- Kind of body
- National police force
- Status
- Currently operating
- Facts last checked against sources
- 13 September 2026
What it is
The Dutch police is a single national force. The regional tier is internal: the ten Regional Units are parts of the one force, not police services belonging to regions. The Minister of Justice and Security carries full ministerial accountability for the proper functioning of the police. The statutory basis is the Politiewet 2012.
What it covers
The whole of the Netherlands, through ten Regional Units and a Central Unit.
Broad responsibilities
- General policing across the country through the Regional Units
- Nationally organised policing functions through the Central Unit
Who it answers to
The Minister of Justice and Security has full ministerial accountability for the proper functioning of the police.
Elsewhere on this site
- Who polices what — how Netherlands is structured, against other systems
Other organisations to compare
- Koninklijke Marechaussee — Netherlands
Where this connects
Institutions: National police.
Sources
Organisation of the Dutch police
Government of the Netherlands · Government publication · link verified 2026-07-26
Government of the Netherlands topic page, read directly. Supports: there is one national police force, headed by one Commissioner, consisting of 10 Regional Units, the Central Unit and the Police Services Centre; and that the Minister of Justice and Security has full ministerial accountability for the proper functioning of the police. The statutory basis is the Politiewet 2012 (Police Act 2012); the exact article text was not quoted because the official consolidated-legislation site wetten.overheid.nl was unreachable, and the substance is established by this government page.