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General operational principles

The police has a visible presence in the community, and we play an important role in making the public feel safe. The public also trust us.  

Our powers give us a responsibility to conduct ourselves in a certain way. Our general operational principles apply to every member of staff from uniformed officers to the wide range of other positions.

Rows of police officers in formal police clothing taking an ethical oath at a swearing-in ceremony with their backs to the camera and their shoulders in line.

The police respects the public’s constitutional rights and human rights

The police respects the public’s constitutional rights and human rights

The police respects the public’s constitutional rights and human rights and bases the exercise of its powers on always choosing from all reasonable options the course of action that best protects these rights. Every action that the police takes must be justified and proportionate to its significance, the inherent danger and level of urgency, the objective, the behaviour, age, health and other characteristics of the person(s) involved as well as other relevant circumstances.

The police primarily maintains public order and safety by giving advice and orders.

Although the powers of the police are based on the law, police work is not just about mechanically enforcing the law but also about keeping people safe and protecting their rights on a daily basis.

The police’s values and code of conduct are enshrined in the ethical oath that every police officer takes.

Every police officer carries a badge that they must present on request or as necessary, as long as this can be done without jeopardising the operation.


How to identify a police officer