A junkie who had his debit card stolen. A local resident with a tip about litter. Or just have a chat with an older lady about the weather. The work of local police officer Jos-Pieter de Lange (45) in Kalsdonk is never boring. He sees it as a challenge that he ended up in one of the most illustrious neighborhoods of Roosendaal six months ago. “Of course I understand that people feel unsafe here. But they should get over that fear more often.”
For the occasion, the police officer left his fast e-bike at home. On a rainy weekday he makes his rounds on foot. “As soon as they see me, they cling to me. What I notice is that they often find the step of calling or emailing the police too big and therefore refrain from doing so. I can’t answer all the questions either. I can refer them, I see that as my most important task.”
“The cameras seem to have had an effect.”
In March, cameras were temporarily installed in the neighborhood. The reason was a shooting in which a man was shot in broad daylight. According to Jos-Pieter, it has been relatively quiet since then. He understands that the picture is distorted now that fire bombs were thrown into a house last Sunday. “This is really exceptional. It may be easy for me as a relative outsider to say, but I feel it is safe. The cameras seem to have had an effect.”
The local police officer misses little as he walks past the old terraced houses. The houses were built shortly after the war on behalf of Philips, the main employer in the neighborhood until eight years ago. “Litter is also a major annoyance in the neighborhood,” he sighs.
A little further on he meets resident Ayla Akakça, who is just about to enter the Turkish shop. “I was born and raised here, but I don’t go outside after dark anymore. There are still plenty of drugs being dealt around the parking lot at Aldi. There is also antisocial speeding. The police should show up in the neighborhood more often.”
“Don’t let it define your life.”
Jos-Pieter takes the time to listen to Ayla’s story. “I cannot take away the feeling in the neighborhood, but I would like to call on people like her not to let this determine their lives. Do go outside, if necessary with your neighbor.”
This advice does not fall on deaf ears when Carmen walks her dog in Philipslaan. “I understand people’s fear, because the neighborhood has changed. But I have lived here for 36 years and I am not afraid and I will not be fooled.”
The intention is for a local police officer to be visible in the neighborhood as often as possible. Yet Jos-Pieter also performs regular police duties. “For the most part, I am available for the district. This is taken into account in the schedule, but it would of course be even better if I could be here full-time.”
“I try to help where I can. We are all human.”
Towards the end of his walk through the neighborhood, a well-known junkie catches Jos-Pieter’s attention. The man seems distressed. It soon becomes apparent what is going on. The man is at his wits’ end because his bank card has been stolen. “I also try to build relationships with these people and help where I can. After all, we are all human.”
Would you like to share your story about Kalsdonk with us? Omroep Brabant is located in Buurtcentrum Kalsdonk at Rector Hellemonsstraat 2a in Roosendaal from Monday, November 27 to Friday, December 1. You can also email us at [email protected] or app us on 040-2949492.
You may also find this interesting:
Firebombs were thrown at Sezer (29) while his son was sleeping.
After the shooting in March, cameras were placed in the neighborhood.
Shootings, fireworks nuisance and poverty: this is the pain of Kalsdonk.
