From ‘rigorous urban renewal’ to a ‘tough approach to street intimidation’, almost all Hoorn political groups agree that more needs to be done in the central area of Kersenboogerd with a view to the upcoming municipal elections. But what are the parties going to do about it?
“The current ‘measures’ have proved inefficient. So admit that current policy has failed. It is now time for real solutions,” says De Realistic Party (DRP), when asked by NH Nieuws and Kieskompas how they can improve the safety and quality of life in want to improve the Kersenboogerd district.
In particular, DRP sees ‘rigorous urban renewal of the city center’ as the ideal solution. “So demolish large parts and start over. Even more talking and drawing up even more memorandums and visions, that did not help this district.”
The plans to open the center area to throw the shovel are not of today and require a long breath. Nearly half of the inhabitants are dissatisfied with what the municipal council is doing to reduce nuisance in the central area of Kersenboogerd and to keep the area livable. As it turns out research by NH Nieuws and Kieskompas†
“Even more talking and drawing up even more memorandums and visions, that didn’t help this district”
Eenhoorn therefore wants to invest in the short term in combating nuisance and insecurity in the city center area. “Tackling the public space and lighting. And most importantly, starting a conversation with residents.”
Kersenboogerd is number one for D66 when it comes to refurbishing neighborhoods in Hoorn. “The station area in particular must be completely overhauled. The distribution between rental and owner-occupied homes must be better distributed in the medium term.”
More enforcement
Liberal Hoorn sees the solution in more police deployment. “Residents no longer dare to go out in the evening, the number of street robberies in our city is four times higher than the average in the Netherlands. […] We want to make Hoorn safe again by investing in more manpower for the police and enforcement officers and by embedding the police in the residential area again. So: more enforcers around Betje Wolffplein, more camera surveillance at strategic places in Kersenboogerd and a tough approach to street intimidation.
Hoorn Lokaal sees camera surveillance more as a necessary addition to security around the station. “It has a preventive effect and helps with detection. The benefits of camera surveillance therefore weigh heavily as far as we are concerned.”
No temporary ‘lap aid’
According to Groenlinks, prevention is still better than cure. “Of course crime and nuisance must be tackled. But if you think you can solve everything with a few extra cameras and BOAs, you are completely wrong.” The party thinks it is time for people to see ‘real solutions and improvements’. “Due to bad policy, a group of vulnerable people has come together at the station. Poverty and loneliness as a result of the right-wing ‘find it out’ policy has exacerbated the situation.”
Groenlinks mainly wants to focus on the prevention of crime, poverty and loneliness. “And that will cost money and time. That is the honest story, in a human way and not a temporary patch but a sustainable solution.”
According to the CDA, the right path has already been taken. “Kersenboogerd has active residents’ consultations and an active youth coordinator. In consultation with them, the right initiatives can be further developed or started.”
Greening and cleaning
PvdA wants to seriously overhaul the Kersenboogerd and lists, among other things: “Renovating, demolishing and new construction, greening and modernizing the outdoor space at Betje Wolfplein and combating litter”.
That last one has been around for ages an annoyance from the residents† Which is therefore also to come in action to keep the public space tidy. “If a neighborhood is clean, it is also a lot safer. I believe in that,” says resident Margreet Aartsen.
Both Fractie Tonnaer and Hoorn Lokaal see merit in her idea of a ‘neighbourhood janitor’. Even if that didn’t get off the ground in 2019. Tonnaer: “We support the idea for a neighborhood concierge. This is the first point of contact for the municipality and the residents. He works from the Wijklab.”
Accountability research
This data is based on online research by the research institute Dial Compass† The study was conducted between January 5, 2022 and January 13, 2022. In order to make the results generalizable for residents of Noord-Holland municipalities, the results for each municipality have been weighted for the characteristics of age, gender and education.