Canadutch
From DutchNews.nl:
The police officer shot dead in Amstelveen on Wednesday night has been identified as 28-year-old Gabriëlle Cevat, news agency ANP said on Thursday. A 49-year-old man from Amsterdam has been arrested in connection with the shooting.
Amsterdam police chief Bernard Welten said her station was extremely shocked by the death and sent his condolences to friends and family. Her partner is also a police officer.
According to ANP, the Cevat was in plain clothes and driving to a police station in Amsterdam Noord for her night shift when she noticed a BMW driving erratically. She alerted her colleagues and drove after the car.
The car stopped in the Piet de Winterlaan in Amstelveen. The police officer got out and identified herself to the driver who shot her once in her upper body. He fled into a nearby house. The three teenagers who were home escaped through a window. Cevat died later in hospital.
The suspect was involved in another incident in Amstelveen earlier in the evening during which shots were fired at a door, ANP reports. The man is reportedly known to the police and has a criminal record for sex and violent crimes.
This probably would just be random daily news in many cities in various countries but here in the Netherlands it’s big news and the entire country mourns. I guess it’s partially because it is a small country, but also because this just doesn’t happen often around here.
In fact, it also states in the article that this is the sixth death of a police officer in active service since 1977 and the first since 2004.
I’m sure there are places where more police officers die from gunshot wounds in a year than have died here in the Netherlands in the last 30 years!
I wonder what it is that makes such a difference. Ok I’m sure the size of the country plays a part but it’s not like there is no crime here. I wonder if it has to do with how little police officers here use guns themselves. It even makes the news here if a cop shoots their gun and doesn’t even hit anything. Just the shooting alone is big news.. good news if you are a criminal I guess!
I would say it has to do with status – economic, social etc… What percentage of your population is working poor or below the poverty line? I bet you it’s small compared to the USA for example or even Canada. The USA has a high percentage of working poor and people living below the poverty line. They also have a large percentage of minorities (mainly blacks) with criminal records or in prison. It’s a constant debate I think why minorities (mainly black) have a higher percentage of people with criminal records or in prison; discrimination? not awarded the same opportunities therefore poorer therefore more desperate therefore committ more crimes? Their own worst enemies? More gang involvement? I guess it depends on who you talk to how those questions are answered.
As you say, I bet it wouldn’t even be mentioned in the US, let’s say. In Canada, definitely though. I think shooting victims are still pretty uncommon, much less a police officer. Thanks God for that!
Zhus last blog post… The Wall
Maybe the biggest difference is that in Holland we all still care about somebody being shot. Think it would be really sad if we didn’t anymore. As the do in other countries…
I’m glad we still care…