News item | 26-04-2022 | 08:31
Organized crime has a toxic effect on youth in various neighborhoods in our country. Drug criminals recruit young people and that sometimes starts at primary school. Minister Yeşilgöz-Zegerius of Justice and Security therefore invests 82 million euros annually to stop this. She has now first asked 15 municipalities to develop plans for neighborhoods where the risks are greatest that young people develop into a criminal career. These are: Amsterdam, Arnhem, Breda, The Hague, Eindhoven, Groningen, Heerlen, Leeuwarden, Lelystad, Nieuwegein, Rotterdam, Schiedam, Tilburg, Utrecht and Zaanstad.
“Criminals are already tempting children at primary school to drop off a package somewhere. They ask high school students to take and pick up someone with their scooter. One day, they hear gunshots and become involved in a liquidation. Young people are thus sucked into crime and lose their future. We must prevent little boys from becoming big criminals. Parents should also take full responsibility here.”
said Minister Yeşilgöz-Zegerius.
Tackling serious crime is about preventing, breaking through criminal networks and revenue models, punishing and protecting. Not only by apprehending serious criminals and dismantling their illegal revenue models, but also by preventing criminals from constantly letting new young people do the dirty work. This requires a substantial investment and a long breath. A lot of money is therefore being set aside to expand the approach on all fronts and to reduce organized (drug) crime. In the coalition agreement, this cabinet allocates more money every year: rising to a structural amount of 100 million euros from 2025. This money is in addition to the 434 million euros structurally released by the previous cabinet at the end of last year on Budget Day.
The House of Representatives will be further informed before the summer about the specific elaboration of the prevention plans against organized and subversive (youth) crime. Minister Yeşilgöz-Zegerius wants to use this approach for a longer period of time in more municipalities to prevent new generations from committing crime. These plans will be strengthened throughout the cabinet by, for example, the Minister for Legal Protection, Ministers of Education, Culture and Science, VWS, SZW and the Minister for Housing and Spatial Planning with the National Liveability and Safety Programme.
Getting started in 15 municipalities
The 15 municipalities can now get to work developing plans for their neighborhoods where the problems are the greatest. Based on the plans of these municipalities, it becomes clear how much of the 82 million euros they need. More municipalities will follow later this year. In the approach, extra efforts are made by municipalities with partners involved in the immediate living environment of the young people: from the police, the Public Prosecution Service (OM), the judiciary, the Child Protection Board, the Probation Service, the Halt Foundation, Care and Safety Houses up to and including the teachers at schools, youth work, youth care, local entrepreneurs and employers.
Young people are given perspective on work and income and are also addressed strictly and consistently if they threaten to slide into crime. That is why the officers in the neighbourhoods, teachers, youth workers and probation officers also have an emphatic role.
Minister Yeşilgöz-Zegerius:
“Everything stands or falls with calling young people to account for their behavior and involving their parents. Only through an intensive person-centred approach can we stop the intimidating pressure of drug traffickers on our children, students and young adults in neighborhoods.”