Things got out of hand at Lindeplein in Loosdrecht last year. A group of about seventy young people has wreaked havoc with heavy fireworks, to the anger of the neighborhood and Mayor Crys Larson. Enough is enough. The mayor does not rule out that strict measures will be taken next year to prevent nuisance.
It was not the first time that things got completely out of hand on Lindeplein. Last year there was also nuisance from fireworks vandals.
During the last turn of the year, things got really bad. A large group of young people from Wijdemeren and Hilversum, among others, caused a lot of unrest and destruction.
The young people set off a lot of heavy fireworks and that left considerable traces. According to the municipality, dozens of street furniture have been vandalized. Various trash cans, clothing bins and plates had to suffer. It only became less when the enforcers reported. The young people ran into the neighborhood and a cat-and-mouse game ensued. The enforcers have not succeeded in addressing the group about their behaviour.
Shame
The situation on Lindeplein overshadows the otherwise quiet New Year’s Eve in Wijdemeren, the mayor believes. Mayor Larson expresses shame at the behavior of the young fireworks vandals. “The rush of about seventy young people to the square was overwhelming and felt downright threatening, an unpleasant experience for many people who live there. This is totally unacceptable behavior,” she says.
She accuses the young people of a lack of respect for the environment and thinks it is inappropriate that a lot of effort is required from, for example, enforcers and money has to be spent to control the situation. To prevent a recurrence, the mayor does not rule out taking ‘far-reaching measures’ next time. She did not report what those measures entail exactly.
Salt box
Why were no measures taken on and around Lindeplein? Precisely because it was already ball there last year, the municipality of Wijdemeren should have responded better to the situation, according to politicians. Dorpsbelangen has therefore asked written questions and wants to know from the mayor, among other things, what the municipality has done in advance, except for the disappearance of a salt tank.
In addition, the political party wants to know what obstacles there are to securing Lindeplein with cameras, especially around old and new. What steps will the mayor take to better monitor public order and safety in the future and at what point will she include local residents and entrepreneurs in that story?