Cooperation with the police was the theme of the six-monthly audit team meeting

Shortly before the resumption of the martial arts season, the audit team of the Nederlandse Vechtsportautoriteit (VA, the Dutch Martial Arts Authority) met in The Hague. The members of the team meet every six months to exchange experiences and look ahead. This time the theme was the cooperation between the VA and the police.

On this occasion the audit team was hosted by the Regional Service Centre de Yp of the police unit in The Hague. Among other things, training courses for the police take place here, ranging from classroom lessons to simulations of emergency situations.

The auditors looked back on the events and gyms that were visited over the past six months. Exceptional situations were highlighted and lessons learned were discussed.

The cooperation between the police and the VA was also a central topic. Where can we support each other (even) better, and what is each party's role in relation to a martial arts event? The police gave a presentation on, among other things, their specific points of attention at events. An explanation was also given of the inspections of private security organisations. These companies often supply security staff for martial arts events as well, and are supervised by the police.

After this presentation it was time to get moving. Instructors in Integrated Professional Skills Training (Integrale Beroepsvaardigheden Training, IBT) provided an introduction and an exercise on dealing with the threat of violence. In a simulation, members of the audit team were placed in situations in which they had to make decisions within a very short time, with potentially far-reaching consequences. This provided a highly interesting insight into some of the most difficult aspects of police work.

The instructive day was concluded with a joint dinner.