Several police officers from East Jutland, Denmark allege they were ordered to close criminal cases in bulk to meet internal performance targets, raising concerns about legality and transparency inside the Danish police force. The whistleblowers claim taskforces were set up within the police in Denmark, with the sole purpose of closing cases without proper investigation.
Allegations of Case “Washing” Within Police in Denmark
In the East Jutland Police District of Denmark, multiple police officers have come forward with serious accusations that their superiors instructed them to dismiss large numbers of criminal cases solely to reduce case backlogs ahead of the end of the year. According to three officers who spoke independently with Danish broadcaster DR, these dismissals occurred through taskforces formed with the primary mission of clearing out files, many without full investigation.
The officers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to concerns for their jobs, described being transferred into these taskforces suddenly and without prior experience in the relevant crime areas, specifically, economic and cybercrime. When asking what their goals were, they were reportedly told not to solve the cases, but to distribute them and make it appear that they were actively being handled, even if they were not.
A Pattern Within Police in Denmark Repeated Over Years
According to the whistleblowers, this practice was not unique to a single year or team. Each autumn, they claim, taskforces were formed in the department for economic crime with explicit instructions to close thousands of cases before year’s end. The officers believe the initiative was initiated by senior management to meet internal performance metrics, commonly known as “måltal” in Danish policing, which include the number of open or unprocessed cases.
Despite the abolishment of performance-based bonuses tied to these metrics, the police in Denmark still monitors quantitative indicators like case processing times, number of cases investigated, and number of dismissals. Officers report feeling pressured to meet these targets regardless of whether it was appropriate to close a case or whether proper investigative work had been done.
Thousands of Cases Closed Rapidly
Official figures support the whistleblowers’ claims of a large-scale clearance operation. In just three months during the autumn of 2024, East Jutland Police shut down approximately 2,990 cases related to IT-based economic crime. A handwritten list from within the police department obtained by DR showed that on some days more than 100 cases were dismissed within a single unit.
Despite the high volume, officers say they were not comfortably able to evaluate or process individual case details. In many instances, they report objecting to the closing of specific files, especially when the same perpetrator was linked to multiple ongoing incidents that were still being dismissed.
Police Management Responds
The senior leadership of the East Jutland Police has denied that the taskforces were intended solely for closing cases. According to Chief Police Inspector Karsten V. Hansen, while there was an intention to address a backlog of reports, every case was still individually assessed to determine whether it warranted follow-up or dismissal. He emphasized that the work was done within legal boundaries and that some cases did lead to charges and convictions.
However, internal tensions remain. Officers recounted how some of them refused to sign final closure letters sent to victims citing a lack of justification. Eventually, the assignments to sign off on these letters were given to prosecutors in order to avoid forcing rank-and-file officers into compromising their professional ethics.
Ethical and Legal Concerns
The officers’ concerns about the legality of mass-dismissals have raised alarms among external experts in criminal law and police governance, who suggest that allowing data targets to govern case decisions could violate legal standards. One of the anonymous officers said he had raised these legal questions internally by email, only to receive oral reassurances that the decisions were sanctioned by the highest levels of the force, including chief prosecutors.
While police management insists that individual case assessments were done and that dismissals were resource-based rather than metrics-driven, experts and whistleblowers alike argue that the practice could erode public trust. Victims of crimes, economic and otherwise, are left with unresolved complaints, while officers face frustration and burnout from being asked to prioritize administrative clearance over justice.
Looking Ahead
In 2025, according to one of the current officers, no formal taskforces have been set up, but the department as a whole is still operating under clear expectations to significantly reduce case backlogs. Discussions continue inside the Danish police about how to balance the need for efficiency with the obligation to ensure every complaint receives proper legal evaluation and fair treatment.
