Lecture 5f: Ethnic Profiling In The Netherlands? A Reflection On Expanding Preventive Powers, ethnic profiling and a changing social and political context (van der Leun & van der Woude, 2011)

Question 1

Background

Answer 1

The Netherlands has moved more and more towards a preventative justice system (=actuarial justice), which focusses on early detection of ‘risky groups’. This causes the risk that such powers may be carried out on the basis of generalisations relating to race, ethnicity, religion or nationality (ethnic profiling).

Question 2

Crimmigation

Answer 2

The merging of migration policy and crime control.

Question 3

The emergence of a Dutch culture of control

Answer 3

When there was perceived loss of control by the government, showing the control of crime became a way to demonstrate the governments control. One of the key indices (indicatoren) of this ‘culture of control’ are the growing negative sentiments about immigration policy and immigrants.

Question 4

Crime rates and immigration

Answer 4

Many studies found an overrepresentation of immigrants among Dutch crime rate, pointing to an ethnic bias in the police system, but there is still no empirical evidence for this.

Question 5

Dutch policies for preventing crime (actuarial justice system)

Answer 5

• Stop and search acts (anyone could be randomly stopped and searched)
• Action plan counter terrorism and security (lowers the threshold to use investigative powers)
• The Aliens Act and Identification Act (random house-searching, passport checks).

Question 6

Ethnic profiling as a danger of expanding preventative powers

Answer 6

Perceptual shorthand (in time and resources) within the police can contribute to making decisions based on external characteristics (like race). Law officials also tend to pick their suspects based on their intuition and experience.

Question 7

Conclusion and discussion

Answer 7

There is a lack of empirical research about the practice and effects of ethnic profiling, which is in contrast to the amount of research about the over-representation of migrants in registered crime and disorder. There is also a lack of research about the polices (and other law-enforcers) own views with respect to profiling.