News item | 14-03-2023 | 12:42
Minister Bruins Slot is coming up with additional measures to increase the safety of mayors, aldermen, deputies and water board administrators, among others.
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Together with municipalities, provinces and water boards, she will expand the current Safe Living Regulations, she said in a letter to the House of Representatives. Decentralized administrators will soon receive tailor-made safety advice with a more extensive package of preventive measures for their living environment.
Minister Bruins Slot: “It is increasingly common for people to use aggression and violence to prove themselves right when they disagree with decisions taken in a municipality or province. This does not only happen at the provincial or town hall, but also occurs at the private homes of, for example, mayors. I find this unacceptable. Because it is precisely at home that drivers need to feel safe. I want to support municipalities and provinces financially in this, so that together we can offer more tailor-made solutions to drivers when it comes to their safety.”
Safe living arrangement
Local, provincial and water board administrators can currently make use of the Safe Living Regulations. This stipulates that they can use a fixed package of basic preventive measures up to a maximum of € 2500. If, for example, a security expert or the police recommend more measures, with higher costs, to a mayor, he must request permission from the municipal council. This can lead to an undesirable debate about the safety of the mayor. An evaluation of the current Safe Living Regulations shows a need for a more extensive package and more tailored advice.
Tailored advice
Local administrators and their families will therefore be offered independent, tailor-made safety advice with a more extensive package of necessary preventive measures. This includes physical and electronic measures in and around the house, such as cameras and an alarm system, but also measures aimed at behavior and training. In order to jointly increase the safety of decentralized administrators, it has been agreed with municipalities, provinces and water boards that they will always adopt the recommended measures. The Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations makes an annual amount of €2.5 million available to support local authorities in this respect.
Part of additional investment of 100 million for the next 10 years
The extra money for preventive home security measures is part of the investment of ’10 million per year’ announced last year to make public administration more resilient. This 100 million will be used to strengthen municipalities against the influence of undermining and the awareness and (online) safety of decentralized political office holders such as mayors, aldermen and members of council and parliament. All this in close cooperation with local authorities and partners within the Resilient Governance Network.