Zoetermeer receives permission for short batons for special enforcement officers
From now on, special enforcement officers in Zoetermeer are permitted to carry a short baton. The State Secretary for Justice and Security granted permission for this on May 11, 2026. In 2021 and 2022, Zoetermeer was one of 10 municipalities participating in a nationwide pilot program in which enforcement officers were temporarily permitted to carry a short baton. Subsequently, the municipality initiated the process to permanently add this item to the special enforcement officers’ equipment.
Mayor Michel Bezuijen welcomes the decision: "This is something we have been working toward for a long time and have been actively pursuing since the pilot program. It is good that we can now better support our special enforcement officers. The short baton helps them work more safely in situations that are becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable."
Indefinite
In the future, special enforcement officers will be equipped with short batons. The authorization to carry short batons is valid indefinitely.