Local residents around the Vondelpark are relieved that the municipality is taking action against the nuisance in the area. They say they increasingly feel unsafe there and that crime is increasing. That is why the nuisance and dealer nuisance area in the center is being expanded: with immediate effect, the park and the surrounding streets are also subject to the stricter approach.
A local resident from Vondelstraat says: “Sometimes I feel unsafe on my bike. I am often shouted at in the neighborhood and ‘t Blauwe Theehuis has been broken into a lot. I would like to feel safer in the neighborhood, especially now that I have a child.”
Entrepreneurs in the Vondelpark area also recognize this feeling of insecurity. “We are building cellars here and it has happened a few times that we came to work in the morning and things were gone,” says one of them.
Many complaints
The municipality says it has recently received many complaints from the neighborhood and therefore decided to designate the area. According to district manager Rocco Piers, this is necessary to be able to act more quickly. “We have designated it a nuisance area because there is more drug sales, drug use and more crime here. We want to be able to intervene earlier.”
The new status allows the police to intervene more quickly, impose area bans and keep people who cause nuisance from the area. “That adds something to what we already do,” says Piers. The measure applies for an indefinite period.
