Ignorance-led port policing? The limits of information sharing–based policing in the North Sea Canal Area and Port of Amsterdam and in the Port of Moerdijk

Abstract

Abstract Whereas the Dutch government considers the Port of Rotterdam and Amsterdam Airport as crucial drug transport hubs for organized crime groups, there is scarce governance focus on the increasing shift of these groups to small, medium-sized, and (still) relatively anonymous Dutch ports, like the North Sea Canal Area (NSCA) and the Port of Moerdijk (PoM). They can be considered criminal diversion ports where port policing parties relies strongly on information sharing to establish intelligence-led port policing. What has remained un(der)studied are not only these criminal diversion ports, but also, and more specifically how and why (frontline) port policing staff (do not) share information and intelligence (position) with one another other. What are their motivations to withhold or share information? That is the key research question answered in this contribution by comparing two recent studies, one on the NSCA (Eski, Y., Boelens, M., Mesic, A., and Boutellier, H. (2021). Van Verhalen naar Verbalen: Een verkennende studie naar de aanpak van ondermijnende drugscriminaliteit in het Noordzeekanaalgebied en de haven van Amsterdam (NZKG). The Hague: Sdu.) and the other on the PoM (Fiddelers, V. [2021]. Intel aan het roer. Een studie naar informatiedeling binnen de politie ten behoeve van de aanpak ondermijnende criminaliteit in de haven van Moerdijk. Amsterdam: VU University.). By exploring comparatively the reasons the studies’ participants have, or think others have, for (withholding) information, this article considers to which extent Dutch small, medium-sized criminal diversion ports accommodate ignorance-led port policing (Reiner in Shepherd, J., Pease, K., Reiner, R., Squires, P., and Westmarland, L. (2010). ‘Debating Policing Research: A Research Council for Crime and Justice? Jonathan Shepherd and Ken Pease Call for Medical Research Standards to be Replicated in Policing Studies. Robert Reiner, Peter Squires, and Louise Westmarland respond.’ Criminal Justice Matters 80(1): 2–5.).