The Dutch Society, Security and Police Foundation
The Dutch Society, Security and Police Foundation (Stichting Maatschappij, Veiligheid en Politie, or SMVP) was founded in 1986 as an independent organisation contributing to the debate on policing and on safety and security issues in society. The foundation wants to know which problems in society are considered important by the business community, non-profit organisations, the general public and various official institutions: the government, the police, the judiciary and special investigation agencies. The SMVP works in every area of security in which the police operates or which is of importance to the police. Sometimes we do this in a very practical war - for instance, experimenting with community policing - and sometimes in an abstract one. For example, conducting a general analysis of the social functioning of the police.
The SMVP mission
The mission of the Society, Security and Police Foundation is to contribute to the social debate about improving public safety and security, in the broadest sense of the term. We do this by:
- • formulating viewpoints so as to influence the social agenda;
- • bringing interested parties together and mediating between them (forum role);
- • encouraging awareness and discussion;
- • stimulating new developments through advice and experimentation; critically monitoring developments in government and society.
In practice, this means that the SMVP publishes opinions, recommendations, discussion papers and textbooks, organises conferences and symposia and commissions experimental projects. The foundation also sets up innovative initiatives aimed at increasing public involvement in security issues and to improve the performance of governmental and non-governmental organisations in the area of security. Naturally, we are unable to do all this alone. Therefore, we closely cooperate with other organisations.
The importance of the SMVP
Because of our independence, the Society, Security and Police Foundation can provide a forum in which all those involved can participate in debates and initiatives, regardless of individual interests. The high quality of our work and our constant efforts to innovate enable us to make a significant contribution to those debates. For these reasons, others are always willing to take part in our activities. This in turn leads to our activities being widely endorsed, which again stimulates new initiatives.
Click here for a summary of the SMVP projects.