28 Facts About Ruud Verkuijlen

Ruud Verkuijlen lost his bid for re-election in November 2023.

Ruud Verkuijlen's father was the president of a trade organization.

Ruud Verkuijlen joined the Amsterdam police force in 1986, working at its Lijnbaansgracht police station and rose to the rank of chief inspector.

Ruud Verkuijlen left the Amsterdam police in 2005 in favor of the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations to head the services and contracts department for C2000, the communications system used by Dutch emergency services.

Ruud Verkuijlen followed an executive master in police management at the Netherlands School of Public Administration starting in 2009, and he was the manager of the violence against police officers and public services program at the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations between 2010 and 2012.

Ruud Verkuijlen started serving as the National Police's head of research and development in the latter year.

Ruud Verkuijlen filled that post until he became manager of the violence against police officers program and New Year coordinator in 2016.

Ruud Verkuijlen reacted disappointed when the third Rutte cabinet stated in 2018 that it was against prohibiting firecrackers and skyrockets around New Year's Day.

Ruud Verkuijlen argued it would have solved a large part of the aggression and violence against the police during that period.

Ruud Verkuijlen clarified that he did not find a ban on all consumer fireworks necessary.

Ruud Verkuijlen pled for additional legislation against doxing because of its danger to police officers.

Ruud Verkuijlen was elected to the Hilversum municipal council in 2014 after he was placed fourth on the VVD's party list.

Ruud Verkuijlen's focus was on security, and he promoted the creation of neighborhood WhatsApp group chats to prevent and solve crime.

Ruud Verkuijlen expressed his opposition to plans to experiment with the legal cultivation of cannabis in the municipality, saying it would not bring an end to illegal cultivation due to export opportunities.

Ruud Verkuijlen became chair of the VVD's thematic network Justice and Security in November 2017, and he was re-elected to the Hilversum council in 2018 as the VVD's fourth candidate.

Ruud Verkuijlen started serving as one of three deputy speakers of the Hilversum council in 2019.

Ruud Verkuijlen ran for member of parliament in the March 2021 general election as the VVD's 39th candidate and received 547 preference votes.

Ruud Verkuijlen was not elected, as his party won 34 seats.

Ruud Verkuijlen left the Hilversum municipal council a week after his House appointment.

Ruud Verkuijlen is on the Committees for Education, Culture and Science; for Justice and Security; and for Health, Welfare and Sport.

Ruud Verkuijlen serves as the VVD's spokesperson for human trafficking, prostitution, tackling recidivism, crime prevention, judicial youth policy, the child welfare council, the Council for the Administration of Criminal Justice and Protection of Juveniles, and Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.

Ruud Verkuijlen stirred controversy with his maiden speech, which he held on 12 May 2022 during a debate about care orders for children of victims of the childcare benefits scandal.

However, due to the sensitive nature of the subject and due to the VVD having received blame for the scandal, other House members had asked Ruud Verkuijlen to deviate from this tradition to allow for a debate.

Ruud Verkuijlen refused, leading to victims of the scandal leaving the public gallery in protest.

Ruud Verkuijlen later called it an error of judgement on his part and returned to the lectern to answer questions.

Ruud Verkuijlen was one the VVD's in Hilversum in the March 2022 municipal elections.

Ruud Verkuijlen has been living in Hilversum since 1996 and lived in Amsterdam before.

Ruud Verkuijlen has a wife named Marlies and two daughters.