IN THE NETHERLANDS, THE MAINTENANCE OF LAW AND ORDER IS DIVIDED INTO TWO ELEMENTS: MAINTAINING PUBLIC ORDER AND ENFORCING THE LAW. THESE DUTIES ARE CARRIED BY TWO SEPARATE POLICE BODIES: THE MUNICIPAL POLICE AND THE NATIONAL POLICE FORCE. THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE NATIONAL POLICE FORCE FROM 1945 TO 1980 IS GIVEN. THE ORGANIZATION OF THE FORCE HAS A MILITARY CHARACTER, MODELED ON THE LINES OF THE ROYAL MILITARY CONSTABULARY. THE POLICE ACT OF 1957 PROVIDED A GREATER DEGRESS OF INTEGRATION OF THE POLICE FORCE WITHIN THE MUNICIPAL ORGANIZATION THAN IT HAD PREVIOUSLY KNOWN. IN ADDITION TO NORMAL POLICE DUTIES, PERSONNEL MAY BE ASSIGNED TO SPECIAL ASSISTANCE DUTIES IN THE EVENT OF LARGE-SCALE ACTS OF TERRORISM AND SERIOUS PUBLIC DISTURBANCE. TECHNOLOGY, THE SPECIALIZATION OF DUTIES, AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENTS HAVE CHANGED THE CHARACTER OF THE POLICE FORCE. SINCE SPECIALIZATION HAS BEEN FOUND DETRIMENTAL TO THE OPTIMAL FUNCTIONING OF THE SERVICE, GROUP WORK HAS BEEN REPLACING SPECIALIST BRANCHES. EACH MEMBER OF A GROUP SHARES RESPONSIBILITY FOR PROVIDING A COMPREHENSIVE POLICE SERVICE. SOME DISADVANTAGES THAT THE POLICE FORCE WILL HAVE TO OVERCOME IN THE FUTURE ARE LIMITED PROMOTION OPPORTUNITIES, DEVELOPMENT OF PERSONNEL AND TECHNOLOGY FOR EFFECTIVE ACCESSIBILITY DURING THE EVENING AND THE CHANGING ROLE OF THE DISTRICT STAFF IN BACK-UP AND COORDINATION. A BILL NOW IN PREPARATION OPTS FOR A PROVINCIAL POLICE FORCE WITH PARTIAL CONTROL FROM THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT. MEASURES ARE NOW BEING TAKEN TO DEVELOP A CENTRAL INSTITUTE OF TRAINING AND EDUCATION. ALSO, SPECIALIZATION WILL BE USED ONLY IN A SUPPORTIVE ROLE.