Amsterdam Letter: They call themselves the "Pink in Blue" team. Right now there is little to distinguish Amsterdam's special homosexual police unit from their other uniformed colleagues.
But that will soon change. Male police officers will don frocks, wigs, leather and rubber gear and lesbian officers will also go undercover in their mission to trap gangs who wage terror in what used to be the world's gay capital. The all-gay unit is determined to curb the rise of homophobia, which has left Dutch and foreign visitors feeling unsafe on Amsterdam's streets and too frightened or intimidated to report harassment.
A spate of attacks against homosexuals has shocked a nation proud of its tolerant image. The first in the world to recognise civil marriage for gay couples, The Netherlands was also the first to pass a Bill allowing gay people to adopt foreign-born children, while every major political party, including the conservatives, boasts gay representatives in parliament.
But with almost daily reports of incidents, ranging from verbal harassment to serious assaults, there are fears that the progressive attitude towards gay people is changing.
Amsterdam is in fact no longer the "gay capital" of the world but foreign homosexuals have not yet realised this, according to Dutch gay rights activists.
There has been a sharp increase in violent incidents - 24 cases already this year, more than for the whole of 2006, amid calls for tougher punishment for perpetrators and a system of compulsory "re-education" to stamp out homophobia.
Gay rights groups are also in talks with the ministry for justice to push for a law - similar to those banning convicted hooligans from soccer stadiums - that could allow judges to bar gay-bashers from approaching areas surrounding gay bars and pick-up spots.
A 34-year-old Irishman who was in Amsterdam during the renowned annual gay pride festival weeks ago was savagely attacked. He suffered a broken jaw and nose and severe neck injuries when he and his friend were set upon in one of several gay-bashing attacks in the city late that night. Almost half of the homosexuals in The Netherlands now feel less safe on the streets. Of these, 38 per cent claim to have been the victim of anti-gay sentiments, according to the most recent survey, with one in three not daring to walk hand-in-hand in public.
The apparent rise of homophobia has been blamed on immigrant groups, mostly young Moroccans. Many local observers in Amsterdam claim integration of immigrants may be the real problem, but gay rights activists caution against making scapegoats of Muslim youth.
Arab homosexuals are increasingly likely to be victims too. Amsterdam's Habibi Ana, (which translates as "My Sweetheart") claims to be the world's one and only gay bar for Arabs - but there are stories of fear and violent assaults. Gay author Rauf Moussad told Radio Netherlands that the increase in attacks on Arab homosexuals was easily explained.
"They represent western values. Furthermore, they are defenceless. They keep their sexual orientation hidden from their families so they are unlikely to report an assault to the police." Moussad believes groups of mainly young Moroccans are developing feelings of hatred towards a society they believe excludes them. Those who target the gay community are looking to religion and attending mosques where hatred towards homosexuality is sometimes preached.
Insp Elly Lust, of Amsterdam's Pink in Blue police network which has a 24-hour hotline for victims of gay-related hate crimes, has come across people with a purely Dutch background who also harass homosexuals. But most of those responsible are Moroccan, usually young and often unemployed or ill-educated, in her experience.
"As society has become more diverse, with different religions and cultures, the levels of tolerance towards homosexuality have also become more diverse," she points out.
Job Cohen, Amsterdam's mayor, who officiated at the world's first gay weddings in 2001, frequently visits imams in the city's mosques to ensure the lines of communication are open.
"Homosexuals must not be insulted. I am against discrimination, period," he has often said.
The mayor is determined to restore Amsterdam's reputation as the world's most gay-friendly city.
And the recovery of that image is vital to tourism and business interests - they are worried by the potential loss of revenue if big-spending foreign gay visitors stay away from "not so gay Amsterdam" in future.