Organizations are sounding the alarm about police violence: ‘Young people of color feel structurally unsafe’

Following the death of 15-year-old Jerryson Noor, the SABI Foundation, NiNsee, Controle Alt Delete, RADAR, and Ojise Network are sounding the alarm about police brutality. According to the organizations, young people of color consistently feel unsafe in their interactions with the police and the justice system. The five organizations held an expert meeting in Rotterdam on November 1st, following the fatal shooting incident in which Jerryson was shot by police. According to the experts, this tragic incident fits into a broader pattern of police brutality, in which people with a migration background are overrepresented.

“Young people of color are structurally insecure when they come into contact with the police and the justice system,” the five organizations state. “Rather than acknowledging this vulnerability, education and practice often reinforce stereotypes that portray young people as suspicious or threatening. We call for humanity, recognition, and structural reform.”

The death of Jerryson, who was shot by police in Capelle aan den IJssel on Sunday, September 21st, is not an isolated incident. It fits into a structural pattern of fatal police incidents, in which people with a migration background are overrepresented.

The Noor case stands in stark contrast to a similar incident in Zwijndrecht, where on Monday, September 29, a white 14-year-old boy threatened someone with a fake weapon. That incident, as it should be, did not end fatally.

Disturbing pattern
A disturbing pattern is emerging in the relationship between the police and citizens of color in the Netherlands, according to the five organizations.

According to Controle Alt Delete, over 80 percent of fatalities caused by police brutality are people of color. These figures are not isolated. RADAR has been recording reports of discrimination and racial profiling for years, particularly in the Rotterdam region. NiNsee points to the deeper roots of the problem: racist perceptions that date back to colonial structures and still influence the thinking of police and government officials. And there is ample research demonstrating that structural unequal treatment exists throughout the entire criminal justice system.

Ethnic profiling is legally contrary to the principle of equality, as recently confirmed in a lawsuit against the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee. Furthermore, NRC Handelsblad and Leiden University conducted research into the Rotterdam police force, which revealed structural racism and a problematic work culture. These findings illustrate that discrimination and unequal treatment within the police and the judicial system are a broader societal concern. The organizations also note that the police regularly refuse to cooperate with educators, youth workers, and teachers—professionals who know young people better and could contribute to a more humane approach.

Dialogue request unanswered.
On Friday, September 26, the five organizations requested a dialogue with the administrative triangle to discuss the significant concerns within the communities. The response on October 2 was late, formal, and distant. The organizations involved perceived this as a lack of recognition of a serious problem and a refusal to engage with the relevant parties. The authorities’ decision to contact only one person, instead of the joint coalition, also reinforced the sense of exclusion.

Structural Causes:
During the November 1st meeting, concerns were shared about police training, hiring practices, and how they perform their duties. Attendees believe there are structural blind spots regarding urban diversity and racial bias.

A former police officer said:

During their training, police officers learn to shoot only at darkly dressed black targets.
People join the police force who only know the countryside. How can they understand our young people in the city?
Police officers too often reject help from educators and youth workers, even though they know the young people better.

Images and Reality:
While public and policy discussions often evoke images of armed youths confronting the police, the actual threat in the Netherlands appears to be exceptionally low. Often, fake weapons or a misjudgment of the situation are subsequently revealed. Unlike the United States, where firearm ownership is widespread, the context here is one of limited access to weapons and low risk. Finally, in the Netherlands, people rarely shoot at police; only serious criminals do so. For this very reason, the five organizations argue, police policy should be guided by realistic risk perception, better training, and refined de-escalation skills, rather than by fearmongering.

Voices of young people
During the meeting, young people – often anonymously – shared their feelings of insecurity:

“I can never be a winner in life. I only know the losing side.” (15 years old) “Brother, I cannot ask sight from people who have made me blind.” (19 years old) “I never swim in the sea because my greatest fear is drowning. I never thought my life would be a sea.” (16 years old)

The organizations call for structural reforms. Their recommendations are concrete: reform police training with an emphasis on urban diversity and de-escalation; strengthen collaboration between the police, schools, and youth work; implement independent monitoring of discrimination and ethnic profiling; and establish a permanent dialogue table between government, the police, and communities.

Young people of color are structurally insecure. Instead of acknowledging this vulnerability, the police and government often reinforce the stereotypes that make them suspect. This needs to change.