Ov-staff dare not to report violence

Employees who often aggression, wait a regular conversation with their managers to ask whether they are in the right place, know Dutch MP Martijn van Helvert (CDA).

"I've heard of people that if they make often report aggression, they are asked whether it might not is up to them. Or they do not have to do anything else, "says Van Helvert talking a lot with public transport staff from trade union FNV Spoor. "The number of violent incidents this appears to be falling, but that's not true."

'Shadowy'

Tuesday parliamentarian proposes parliamentary questions about the "shadowy" registration of OV-violence. Recent research confirms its obvious that the figures are incorrect. Not only because the staff are not always reported, but also because the numbers of the police and the Dutch Railways do not seem to correspond with each other. This could partly be because the police did not correctly enter all reports.

"While these figures are actually very important. Here is policy made and acted upon, "says Van Helvert. "It is now thought that we are on the right track, because the number of incidents is falling. But that is not correct. The reports fall due to poor registration and low willingness to report, but the violence and the increasing severity. "

A SYSTEM

It's been several years known that the numbers of violent incidents are not quite right in public transport. This would in 2014 on the orders of then-Minister of Security, Ivo Opstelten, action shall be taken on, but according to Van Helvert not much came of it. "Nothing has changed. The CDA wants the police, train and other public transport companies to work with a single registration system in which they make mention of aggression. "

The police checked now to a declaration which concerns violence against an employee with a public mission. This goes to four in five tax returns properly. More specifically would be a nondoable task. "Nonsense," says Van Helvert. "These are bureaucratic reasons not having to do anything. A policeman looks perfectly well the difference between a driver and a paramedic. If not, is that agent might not be in the right place. "

By Editorial RTL News: Photo: Reuters