Leonard Kok inaugurated as director of the Netherlands Police Academy

Leonard Kok was today inaugurated as the new director of the Netherlands Police Academy at the Academy's main location in Apeldoorn. In the atrium, Monique Vogelzang, Director-General of Police and Security Regions at the Ministry of Justice and Security, administered the oath to Leonard. 

Head of operations and board member of the Netherlands Police Academy Rob Tanis acted as master of ceremonies. He gave Monique Vogelzang the floor first. "For you, this is a new role, but for many of us here today you are not a new face," she said to Leonard. "In recent years, you have been closely involved in the internal organisation of training from your position in the force leadership, the identification of training needs from the police, and the research and design of the basic police training PO21. So you know where the bottlenecks are and what the important issues for the future are. Here, too, you will find a great team of very committed staff."

Basis for good policing 

After administering the oath, Monique handed Leonard the framed Royal Decree. Chief of Police Henk van Essen spoke next: "Here in this building, the foundations for good policing are being laid. A police force that matters, a police force that is right. The Netherlands Police Academy and the Netherlands Police are closely linked. That is why, Leonard, I, too, welcome your taking office as the new director of the Netherlands Police Academy. And as much as we will miss you as a member of the Netherlands Police Force management team, we are pleased that you will remain within the world of policing. I hope that with the knowledge and experience you have gained, you will continue the fine partnership and take education to the next level. I wish you and the Netherlands Police Academy every success."

Maximum connection 

After this, Leonard engaged in a dialogue with about five students. That was followed by Annika Smit, lecturer at the Netherlands Police Academy, speaking on the subject of moral resilience. The closing word of the meeting was left to Leonard. "It gives me great pride to follow my predecessors as the standard bearer of this superb and indispensable institution. I see myself as a standard bearer mainly in providing the personal connection between police education and police research on the one hand and the operational police force on the other. As a training and research institute, we are maximally connected to the police as a unique organisation at the centre of society and to the police as a learning and working organisation. The police are an organisation the government and society rightly make very high demands on. That also underlines the importance of the Academy. Is the Academy's responsibility to keep high standards on the quality of teaching, examinations, and research."

Leonard Kok had been a member of the Netherlands Police Force management team since 2016. He has been director of the Netherlands Police Academy since 1 January 2023.