Amsterdam will have a new police chief at the end of this year.
Rob van Bree, 48, is set to succeed Peter Holla as head of the Amsterdam unit when Holla retires in December.
Holla, 63, has held the post only since October 2024 after a long career in the city force.
National crime work
Van Bree spent the last five years at the national investigation and interventions unit of the Dutch police.
His work there covered serious and organized crime, terrorism, foreign interference, drugs, and cybercrime at both national and international levels.
In a recent note he thanked colleagues for helping build a unit ready for current and future challenges.
Earlier Amsterdam roots
This is not Van Bree’s first time with the local force.
He started his police career in Amsterdam in 1998, working on neighborhood teams in Oost and Zuidoost and in the control room before leaving the city in 2004.
National police chief Janny Knol recommended him for the Amsterdam post, pointing to his broad experience and commitment.
Handover and reactions
Van Bree will finish his national duties in the coming months.
From 1 November he begins getting to know the Amsterdam unit, and he officially takes charge on 14 December, the same day Holla steps down.
Mayor Femke Halsema of Amsterdam said she is glad to have him and looks forward to working together.
Van Bree will join Halsema and chief prosecutor René de Beukelaer in the city’s three-way leadership group.
Holla, who was born and raised in Amsterdam and joined the force in 1984, has voiced full confidence in his successor.
During his short time as chief he paid particular attention to the explosions that hit the city and to support for young people with fewer opportunities.
