If you'd like to experience what it's like to be a cop, there are games like Autobahn Police Simulator and Police Simulator: Patrol Officers. But of course nothing beats the real thing. Unfortunately, during a sniffer internship you are probably not allowed to immediately get into an A6 and hunt for criminals. If you, as a citizen, ever find yourself in a situation where you can assist the police in a pursuit, is this permitted or do you risk a fine?
Take the video at the bottom of this page as an example. The officers spotted a BMW used by an alleged human smuggler. When the police show the stop sign, the driver appears to stop, but then continues driving. Not much later, an attentive road user stops so that the police can arrest the suspect.
Can you help the police during a chase?
TopGear Netherlands asks the Dutch police whether a helping hand is allowed. The police remind us of the citizen's arrest. This means that as a citizen you may arrest and detain a suspect when you discover that he or she is committing a criminal offense. It is therefore permitted to block and arrest the suspect.
You may use force to prevent the suspect from running away. The violence you use must not go further than necessary. So hitting a suspect with your own car might be a bit too much. But stopping your car in front of that of a suspect is allowed. If the suspect has surrendered or is defenseless, you are of course not allowed to commit violence yourself.
Be careful before you play the hero
In any case, the Skoda driver in the video below receives a thank you from the officer. But you always have to be careful, because the same applies to someone pulling a weapon. The police warn: 'It is difficult to estimate who is in front of you. For us, the safety of the citizen always comes first, so it is not something we necessarily recommend.'
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