Police and enforcement have been busy in the Vogelenwijk for weeks with targeted actions to confiscate illegal fireworks. This week things got out of hand. A 15-year-old boy resisted and an adult man (41) interfered too much, according to the police. They were arrested, but the police were hindered by bystanders.
Cat and mouse game
The municipality has announced that the number of complaints from the Vogelenwijk has increased significantly in recent months. “Additional actions were already taken by the police, but the young people played a cat-and-mouse game. Last Wednesday it got out of hand, including violence against officers. We see that it is getting out of hand.”
In all haste, a residents’ evening was organized last night and a security camera was placed at the head of the square. Many residents are happy with it. “Hopefully something will be done now, because it’s getting worse,” says a man walking his dog.
For five years
A spokesperson for the Vogelenwijk neighborhood platform confirms this image. There has been unrest for about five years, with ups and downs. There is a peak especially in the summer and around the end of the year, says the spokesperson, who wishes to remain anonymous.
According to the neighborhood platform, this involves provocative behavior, setting off heavy fireworks, driving fast on the sidewalk with fat bikes, banging on windows and addressing people in a threatening manner. “They are young people from 12 to 15 years old who hang out on the square until well after ten o’clock at night.”
Talking to young people
The district spokesperson hopes that after the escalation, the young people and their parents who were approached by the police will now be shocked. But above all, he wants solutions to be discussed with young people and not just restrictive action by enforcers. “Because you can send them away, but they can’t go anywhere here either.”
The neighborhood platform has asked the municipality to urgently invest money again in youth work in Haarlem-Noord. “That has been cut back here. All arrows have been aimed at Schalkwijk in recent years. But there is also something needed here for the youth, especially for the followers. They then do not have to join a hard core of young people who don’t give a damn about everything.”