The bullet is in the church. Mayor Marco Out van Assen says in a letter to the city council that two cameras will be installed on Koopmansplein and one on Stationsplein in the city. These cameras will remain in the city until at least October 21, 2026.
The city council has been calling for camera surveillance for a long time because of the many incidents in the center of Assen. Fights, loud music and riding around fast on fat bikes made residents and entrepreneurs feel unsafe. For a long time, Out did not think these additional measures were necessary, but he still gave in to the council’s wishes.
The purpose of the cameras is twofold: the municipality wants to maintain public order and thereby prevent unrest and disruptions. But the cameras also have a preventive function to prevent crime and violations. During peak times, the images are monitored and emergency services can be deployed where necessary. The images are also recorded and kept for 28 days.
The measure to designate the center of Assen as a safety risk area will be extended by one year until October 21 next year. The police may therefore carry out preventive searches, there is a knife ban and active efforts are being made to implement area bans.
This measure has not yet been a great success. Eleven preventive searches have been carried out in two years. 1850 people were searched. During these checks, 49 stabbing or impact weapons were seized. In addition, nine people have been given an area ban this year. 24 people received a warning