News item | 05-01-2024 | 5:00 PM
The New Year of 2023-2024 passed with fewer incidents and in many places in a well-organized manner. At the same time, excesses with heavy explosions of violence, disruptions of public order and disorder with often illegal fireworks caused injuries and damage in the country. Nearly 300 police officers and other people with public duties became victims of physical and verbal violence. There has also been a total decrease in the number of fireworks victims in emergency departments or GP surgeries, but injuries caused by heavy and illegal fireworks have increased. Furthermore, more young people are seen among both fireworks victims and those who cause nuisance.
This is evident from the National New Year’s Eve 2023-2024 image that Minister Yeşilgöz-Zegerius of Justice and Security and State Secretary Heijnen of Infrastructure and Water Management sent to the House of Representatives today. The report provides a numerical picture of the turn of the year and does not provide a picture of the impact of the incidents on people in the field. Like every year, the municipalities, police, boas, fire brigade, ambulance care, healthcare staff, Public Prosecution Service, Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate and other organizations involved work hard to make New Year’s Eve as safe as possible.
Last New Year was the second New Year’s Eve celebration in which there was an effective ban on fireworks and flares. Just like last year, the number of injuries caused by this type of fireworks has also decreased further this year. In the run-up to the New Year, a lot has been done by various parties in prevention to ensure that the New Year is a celebration for everyone. For example, municipalities deploy youth workers and neighborhood fathers to talk to the target group, containers are preventively closed by boas and the police also conduct discussions with possible troublemakers. Furthermore, the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate conducts product safety investigations every year to prevent unsafe fireworks from being put into circulation. There was also a local fireworks ban in 16 municipalities.
According to Minister Yeşilgöz-Zegerius, a lot of effort is still needed from the entire society for a safer New Year’s Eve.
,“The explosions of violence, even targeted actions with heavy illegal fireworks, against police officers, firefighters and other first responders are unacceptable. It is precisely these people who take a step forward for the safety of others. Strict criminal action is taken. In the prosecution, every effort is made, including heavier penalties when it comes to violence against the very people who are committed to the safety of society. Municipalities are also doing more and more to identify known troublemakers together with the police and the Public Prosecution Service. But keeping our streets and neighborhoods safe clearly poses a major challenge for all of us – as parents, neighbors and friends – especially as young people are also seen participating in the riots. We will soon discuss what further steps are necessary with the police, the Public Prosecution Service, local government, police and boa associations.”
Overview of reporting 2023-2024
- 1,212 fireworks victims have been reported to the emergency departments of hospitals and GP surgeries. That is 3 percent less compared to the previous New Year.
- The fire brigade has received 3680 reports. That is less than the 4,155 reports of fire last New Year.
- The number of incidents during New Year’s Eve fell by 29.2 percent to 7,437 incidents.
- A total of 295 police officers and people with public duties were victims of physical or verbal violence. This is an increase of 52% of police officers confronted with violence (GTPA) and an increase of 88.2% of victims of persons with a public task (VPT).
- The number of arrests by the police has increased by a total of 1.4 percent compared to the average over the past four years. During New Year’s Eve, 287 people were arrested in connection with incidents within the New Year’s Eve themes.
- 364 nuisance-causing young people under the age of 18 were registered. This is an increase of 78 percent compared to the average of the previous four New Years, although this is a relatively low number of total nuisance offenders according to the police.
- To date, the police have submitted 156 cases to the Public Prosecution Service (OM) involving people arrested on suspicion of a crime related to New Year’s Eve. This is a decrease of 3 percent compared to last year, when 161 cases were submitted to the Public Prosecution Service around this time.