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The “spit-kits” are part of an experiment to catch offenders which began on October 1 after a series of attacks left dozens of drivers and conductors covered in saliva – an assault that carries a three-month jail term or a €4 000 fine.
“Spitting is one of the most humiliating forms of aggression around,” said Mireille Muller, spokesperson for Amsterdam’s Council Transport Company (GVB).
“Although it is getting safer for our staff, the idea is to completely eradicate this crime,” she said.
Security personnel are now issued with a special “spit kit” consisting of a plastic tube and a gauze swab and have been trained by forensic specialists to collect saliva samples.
They can get to the scene of any spitting incident within six minutes, Muller said.
The DNA sample is then handed over to police and prosecutors for further investigation and sent off to the Dutch National Forensic Institute for profiling, said Franklin Wattimena of the Public Prosecutor’s office.
Even if there is no match, the DNA sample is kept for the next 12 years, he added, making future matches possible.
More than 740 000 passengers make use of Amsterdam’s public transport services daily, according to the GVB’s latest figures.
