A house on the Cardinal van Rossumstraat in Roosendaal is surrounded by police units for hours on Thursday. The Fatimawijk was partly closed and twelve houses were evacuated. A man threatened to do something about himself and others. Shocked local residents come together on Friday morning at a special tent from the municipality to tell their story or ask questions.
“I am happy that this is being organized,” says a mother who has made a chat with her daughter. “It has had quite an impact on my daughter and me. Especially because the school was closed. The children were not allowed outside and you don’t know why.”
Parents were finally allowed to go to school on Thursday afternoon to pick up their children and had to go outside via a different way. “There was really a lot of police. Everything was dropped off and you don’t know what’s going on. That’s the most annoying.”
Home
Ursula Kramer was at home when the street suddenly was sufficient with the police. She lives in one of the twelve houses that were evacuated by the emergency services around half past seven as a precaution. The local residents were received in the Keijenburg community center, where care providers were ready to provide support. “We were well taken care of there. There was also food and drink,” she says.
Other local residents were called by the police. “We had to go inside and stay inside for our safety,” says a man. “First the story was about that there would be a bomb at the school. In the end it turned out to be incorrect, but what was going on? We had no idea.”
They were uncertain times for Ursula. “I didn’t know if we would go back home or if my house would no longer be there,” she explains. “I also saw videos about explosives. There were a lot of stories around.”
States in the neighborhood
On Friday morning, Ursula went to the special tent set up by the municipality to let himself be talked about yesterday, but also to tell her story about the neighborhood. “I came to live here three years ago. There was regular police and situations during that period. So I wanted to raise some things. It may be a bit safer, also for the children who play outside here.”
Much more comes up with her than just what happened yesterday. She hopes it will be safer in the neighborhood. “There is a lot of things here: people with a backpack, single mothers. They all have a story, that lives together and sometimes things happen. But I want it to be safer.”
Mayor present
Mayor Mark Buijs is also present on Friday to speak to the local residents. “People experienced something violent yesterday, which is why we were already present in the neighborhood last night and we are back today. There is a lot of need to share and share worries. Especially people with children find it difficult to explain what actually happened. Yesterday the street is full of people with a gun. That is very fierce and that is why we are trying to get the people back to the people.”
On what the threat was on Thursday, the mayor does not want to go in. “We know in the Netherlands that a lot of people, even though they sometimes have psychological complaints, continue to live in a neighborhood. That is the way we have arranged it in the Netherlands. Then this kind of thing can happen, but this is an incident that could have happened everywhere. It is one person who derails for a moment. In general, the neighborhood is just safe and let’s hope it stays with this incident.”
The mayor indicates that the municipality will continue to monitor the neighborhood and will see what is needed. “And if necessary, we will of course certainly do more. Just as long as we notice that people feel good again in the neighborhood,” said the mayor.