ABSTRACT
This chapter describes working from the experiences of two parliamentary committees, which have inquired into Dutch criminal investigation. The investigation of criminal offences is one of the core duties of government. Criminal investigation derives from the police's monopoly on violence. The Dutch police are concerned with three tasks: enforcement of legal order, enforcement of public order and assistance. The parliamentary inquiry in 1995 has shaken up the field of Dutch criminal investigation. An inventory of more specific findings is needed in order to link the conclusions of the committee to the viscosity argument. A delicate balance between decisiveness and viscosity is necessary for the proper and sound actual practice of criminal investigation. A decision-making structure has eventually come about that does justice to the various interests that need to be connected and be balanced within a constitutional state. Responsibility for decisions regarding investigation needs to be divided among various actors in charge.
