Dutch police complain it is their right to smoke cannabis while off-duty

[Spliff420]

From the 1st of January 2008 police officers in Amsterdam are no longer allowed to use cannabis in their own spare time. This is specified in the new behaviour directive sent by the Amsterdam precinct to all the officers.

Until now it was clear to all the officers that they could not show up at work under the influence of cannabis and/or alcohol (of course). But according to the head of the precinct the officers must be an example to others, and besides that they are officers 24 hours a day. There is simply no place for the use of cannabis in this kind of function.

It is also included in the directive that officers outside working hours must take it easy with the use of alcohol. It is simply not acceptable that an officer is “singing on the street” during his spare time.

The Amsterdam precinct is the first in the Netherlands to apply this rule. It is not yet known if the officers will be tested for the use of cannabis. It's also not known what the sanctions will be when police officers are still caught.

Source: The Daily Smoker

Reputation Comments on this post:

Yikes, but thanks for sharing.

[JaWill88]

swim wonders if more precincts will follow. swim wonderes if someday ultimately cannabis use will be put to an and in amsterdam/netherlands because police are not able to. wouldnt that be nuts?! lol.

[crackcityrocker]

honestly that was my first thought when i read this, that if theyre going to start getting stricter on the police they might decide to become stricter on the public. i dont think it will happen though. it does make a little sense if they are to be considered police officers 24/7 but i think its somewhat hypocritical to not have any restrictions on alcohol if youre going to look at it that way. hopefully theyll be lenient with this new rule, maybe a "dont ask, dont tell" type of policy? piggies need dru..*ahem*...love too.

[Nature Boy]

Seems like a systematic move to gradually turn law enforcement against cannabis users. Sneaky but highly effective.

[Joe Duffy]

I’d rather meet a stoned off duty police officer than a drunk one any day.

[FrankenChrist]

Heh. Not so long ago cops in Brussels, Belgium were told "not to go drink and hang out in brothels on worktime anymore."

[grecian]

This from yesterdays Daily Mail, an interesting move from the Dutch policy makers:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...n_page_id=1811

Dutch police complain it is their right to smoke cannabis while off-duty

Police in Amsterdam are complaining over new rules banning them from
smoking cannabis while off duty.

Officers in the Dutch capital, famous for its liberal drugs laws, have
been told they must set the public "a good moral example".

The ban, due to come into effect on January 1, will make the force the
first in the Netherlands to bar officers from using drugs when not at work.

Frank Gittay, the city's police council chairman, said: "Until now
police were only banned from showing up for work stoned or drunk.

"But now we are telling officers they should also behave like the police
at all times.

"That means not taking drugs and not getting excessively drunk whether
on or off duty."

But Dutch police union chairman Hans van Duijn said: "Many of our
members are opposed to this.

"They are not paid for 24-hours a day. What they do in their free time
is up to them."

Reputation Comments on this post:

	Thanks for sharing this news.
	great artcile!

[D.U.M.B]

Thats crap they really should be allowed smoke as much as they want or drink as much as they want when their off duty.

As long as their sober and alert for work then SWIM would have no concerns with what police do in their spare time

[Triple7]

What is interesting, is that police will feel the restrictions that are normally put to people and that police needs to break the "code" (law) to have some fun. Now, they are given the feeling of being victimized and offenders. This may create some more humanity in police where they let drug offenders go unless the officers really are slaves to the book. However, time may turn anyone into a slave. It is a symptom of brainwashing.

Anyone who knows the opinions of these law makers? Are they known for stricter drug control?

[Nature Boy]

"They are not paid for 24-hours a day. What they do in their free time
is up to them."

Exactly.

That should be the end of the argument but I'm sure this current moral crusade won't relent.

[Homegrow3r]

I was dope tested for my present job, ok so they didn't test my piss, but it's already a standard demanded of me in the private sector that I don't agree with, why should the cops be any different?

I'm playing devils advocate a bit as this is all hypothetical, but it's a valid question.

[fnord]

Originally Posted by Homegrow3r

I was dope tested for my present job, ok so they didn't test my piss, but it's already a standard demanded of me in the private sector that I don't agree with, why should the cops be any different?

I'm playing devils advocate a bit as this is all hypothetical, but it's a valid question.

well in there country smoking pot is legal,what if your boss tested "your" piss for alcohol and said your were fired/fined for drinking a few beers after returning home from work?

[Homegrow3r]

Well you see that's the thing, dope isn't legal in Holland, at least not when my friend had a load of it taken off him by a cop on the Heerengracht it wasn't.

It's decriminalised. It's not the same thing.

They turn a blind eye is what my friend was told by the cop.

[Psych0naut]

Originally Posted by Triple7

What is interesting, is that police will feel the restrictions that are normally put to people and that police needs to break the "code" (law) to have some fun. Now, they are given the feeling of being victimized and offenders. This may create some more humanity in police where they let drug offenders go unless the officers really are slaves to the book. However, time may turn anyone into a slave. It is a symptom of brainwashing.

Anyone who knows the opinions of these law makers? Are they known for stricter drug control?

In SWIMs experience, the police have been very relaxed towards drug users. SWIM has had several chats with police officers on queensnight/day, while clearly noticeable rolling his balls off. They didn't mind, as long as you behave yourself, they generally don't mind whatever you take. SWIM was pulled over a few years ago, because the lights of his bicycle weren't working. SWIM was tripping pretty hard on mushrooms, and, well, he started to act a bit as a morron, but even still, they didn't mind to much. Older police officers might sometimes be harsher towards people under influence of drugs, but that's because of their age. Young cops don't mind it a bit, as long as you don't misbehave.

The laws are made by the goverment, and since the last elections the conservative Christian party, the Christian Union got a lot more power. Since the Christian goverments have been in place(we now have had the same partyleader reallected three times!), the liberal drug policy of the Netherlands is being broken down and demolished. The ban of the magic mushrooms, the raid of all smartshops and closure of several of them. The closing down of half of all coffeeshops in the Netherlands, mainly in Rotterdam, because of a new law(they raised the distance coffeeshops have to from schools, which means massive closure of 50% of all Dutch coffeeshops. And then we have the zero-tolerance policy, personal possesion is not alowed anymore at almost all parties, and even in general in some areas. I've seen a rapid change in our drug policy, and I can ashure you it will not be long or we will be at the same level as France regarding our drug policy

Originally Posted by fnord

well in there country smoking pot is legal,what if your boss tested "your" piss for alcohol and said your were fired/fined for drinking a few beers after returning home from work?

Just a correction, but it's illegal Cannabis products are list II drugs of the Opium Law, among with the benzodiazepines and barbiturates(except for secobarbital) You won't be prosecuted when you smoke cannabis though, nor when you have up to, I think 25grams of cannabis. If you're cought in possesions of less than 25 grams, they can seize it, but they rarely do. Unless you're a minor(under 18 years of age)

Originally Posted by Homegrow3r

Well you see that's the thing, dope isn't legal in Holland, at least not when my friend had a load of it taken off him by a cop on the Heerengracht it wasn't.

It's decriminalised. It's not the same thing.

They turn a blind eye is what my friend was told by the cop.

How much did he have? And as you said, it's decriminalised, possesion will not be prosecuted under a certain limit, but the drugs will be seized by the police.

[Homegrow3r]

Originally Posted by Psych0naut

How much did he have? And as you said, it's decriminalised, possesion will not be prosecuted under a certain limit, but the drugs will be seized by the police.

Well my friend didn't complain, they were being stupid trying to buy coke on the heerengracht, stupid tourist shit.
About 40 grams of weed and hash, my friend was on a day trip from Germany which my friend only did about once every two months for his own use.
The place my friend normally went to was Groeningen, this was a once off and a bad move.

[grecian]

Some interesting points here, particularly concerning the "very relaxed" attitude of the police towards drug users. When i first saw this article my initial thought was that such a law is likely to impact negatively on this relaxed attitude due to the creation of an unnecessary 'us vs them' situation. I doubt this will happen overnight but it seems obvious that policeman A who is allowed to (and perhaps does) smoke cannabis is more likely to deal leniently with offenders than policeman B who is prohibited from doing so. Whether this was in the thoughts of the policy makers I can't say, but I would be extremely suprised to learn that it wasn't.

[Woodman]

Let the right wing politicians put their money where their mouth is; If they REALLY want Dutch Police to exhibit police behavior 24 hours-a-day, then pay the poor Police for a 24/7 work week.

...otherwise, shut the fuck up and go find something useful to bitch about.

[enquirewithin]

Perhaps Dutch politicians should be banned from drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes while not 'on duty' to set a good moral example to the police!!

I don't know about Dutch ones, but UK politicians are known for their alcohol abuse, especially the absurd old 'lords.'

[Psych0naut]

^^^^ The Christian parties wan't to regulate alcohol much heavier now as well, though mainly just among youth, because of their binge-drinking.
Other parties don't pay much or any attention to it at all, not even 12 year olds gulping Bacardi Breezers untill they wake up in the ICU...

[Homegrow3r]

Originally Posted by Woodman

Let the right wing politicians put their money where their mouth is; If they REALLY want Dutch Police to exhibit police behavior 24 hours-a-day, then pay the poor Police for a 24/7 work week.

...otherwise, shut the fuck up and go find something useful to bitch about.

The Dutch were always very right wing, they're just swinging from right wing liberals to right wing conservatives as per the USA.

The whole freedom of choice stay out of my life government is very much a cornerstone of the right.

[Dark_Man_Of_Peace]

In my opinion cops should be able to smoke while off duty, as well as on duty.

[Corksil]

SWIM agrees that the politicians should be banned from recreational cannabis use as well. If they do not agree, the hard-working police officers should be paid 24 hours a day.

[Bajeda]

Originally Posted by mystereo2099

SWIM agrees that the politicians should be banned from recreational cannabis use as well. If they do not agree, the hard-working police officers should be paid 24 hours a day.

Banning them from consuming alcohol would probably be a more effective course of action.

[Psych0naut]

Originally Posted by Homegrow3r

The Dutch were always very right wing, they're just swinging from right wing liberals to right wing conservatives as per the USA.

The whole freedom of choice stay out of my life government is very much a cornerstone of the right.

It all changed in the seventees in the Netherlands, from that moment on, the Netherlands became a very liberal country. We have been very liberal for a long time since then. For some time, it was even more atractive not to work, and live of welfare checks, than to work! That's how well the social system took care of the Dutch citizens, it was all thanks to the change to a liberal policy. But that's all gone now...

[TMM]

Originally Posted by grecian

Officers in the Dutch capital, famous for its liberal drugs laws, have
been told they must set the public "a good moral example".

Quotes like this do not bode well for the continued legality of certain things...