Public Order and Safety Inspectorate

The Public Order and Safety Inspectorate (POS Inspectorate) supervises the quality of the performance of public tasks of police, police training institutes, fire brigade and disaster relief and crisis control organisations. By performing inspections, the POS Inspectorate contributes to the safety of Dutch society. Systematic, thematic and incident inspections are being performed.

It is the ambition of the POS Inspectorate to improve safety by providing insight into the quality of the task execution of organisations in the fields of policing, firefighting, disaster relief, crisis control and police education, and to provide a platform for mutual comparison. This will give all the parties involved a framework within which to realise their responsibilities. The drawing up of inspection reports - and making them public - should stimulate organisations to improve the quality of their task execution. The POS Inspectorate has no authority to impose sanctions.

As part of the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, the POS Inspectorate is subject to ministerial responsibility. The head of the POS Inspectorate reports directly to the minister. As the minister has no involvement in its findings, the independence of the POS Inspectorate is guaranteed. The Inspectorate, with its workforce of around 50, was founded in 2002.

In performing inspections, POS Inspectorate strives to have a measurable effect on improving public order and safety. The POS Inspectorate allows itself to be led on the one hand by an assessment of social safety risks. On the other hand by the question how its supervision can make an optimal contribution to the realisation of envisaged policy effects.

Integral Supervision Youth Affairs

The project Integral Supervision Youth Affairs is a collaboration of five Dutch inspectorates: the Healthcare Inspectorate, the Education Inspectorate, the Youth Care Inspectorate, the Work and Income Inspectorate and the POS Inspectorate. What these inspectorates have in common is that all or part of their supervisory tasks concern facilities for youth.

Structure of fire brigade, disaster relief, police

Fire fighting in the Netherlands has traditionally been the responsibility of the municipal councils. Therefore, almost every municipality (of over 450) has their own fire brigade, the strength of which depends on the size of the municipality. The fire brigade is the central actor in disaster relief. Its tasks are laid down in Dutch legislation.

The tasks of the Dutch police are also legally defined. The police is organised in 25 regional corps and the National Police Agency (KLPD) with various supporting departments. Management of the 25 police corps is regionally structured. The corps enjoy a high measure of freedom in terms of performing their tasks and setting priorities.

Download a brochure to read more about the work of the POS Inspectorate (PDF)