This new police post in Amsterdam doesn’t do what you expect

August 29, 2025

A pole that decides

Police Chief Peter Holla officially presented the so-called selection pole last week. The idea is simple: during an inspection, the citizen himself presses the button. This is followed by a clear signal with light and sound. Green means you can pass, red means you are being checked. According to Holla, this shows that selection is truly random. “Of course, we have been searching and checking in different ways for a long time, but with the pole we can also show afterwards that someone was chosen purely at random,” he says.

Where will you see the selection pole soon?

The selection pole can be used in multiple places. Think of traffic controls, preventive searches, security risk areas and even locker checks at schools. So it is not out of the question that you will soon have to deal with it during a routine check. For the police themselves it provides an additional tool: the work becomes clearer and discussions afterwards are easier.

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Not always dependent on a pole

The pole determines, but police still look with common sense. If an officer sees someone strikingly running away or exhibiting suspicious behavior, then a check can be made without a pole. In that case, the familiar ground rules apply: select on behavior, give an explanation and conduct a check.