There is not yet a real solution for the nuisance caused by the homeless and addicts at Julianaplein in Den Helder. Ice cream parlor owner Raymond Barriel had a meeting today, and the municipality said afterwards that it wanted to work on extra enforcement and a permanent solution. Last Sunday, Barriel closed his ice cream parlor for the entire week after receiving death threats. “It’s going to be a big mess here if they don’t do something about it soon.”
Raymond Barriel does not feel that he has made much progress after talking to ‘another municipal official’. To his great surprise, he will soon have a meeting with the mayor. “Very brave. He is our mayor and he is responsible for public order in our city. The municipality says that it cannot enforce because there is no permanent group of nuisance providers. But last week I had a meeting with a civil servant; it is clear that it is the same men every time.”
Barriel did learn that the municipality thinks pamphlets in several languages and signs might help. The spokesperson for the municipality of Den Helder does not want to confirm this to NH yet. “The Board is looking for a permanent solution, which looks at enforcement, physical space and care. This is currently being worked on. In the longer term, this situation cannot be solved solely from safety,” is the response.
“I want to build a bright future here, also for my family, but you are stopped by a bunch of ‘guests’ who have nothing to do but drink. It makes me desperate, especially after last Sunday. I don’t know anymore And not only me, there are people living here who are just a nuisance all year round I’ve heard all the excuses and I hope they will do something now and that politicians will no longer close their eyes to this problem .”
‘Methadone park’
The PVV in Den Helder has now asked political questions: “It is a travesty. This should never ever happen in Den Helder,” said party chairman Vincent van den Born to media partner Northhead region. The PVV wants the municipality to take a closer look at the mental health policy and indicates that the municipality must compensate the entrepreneur for the lost turnover: “The safety problem has been going on for ages and the municipality has not delivered on solving it.”
Barriel will open his ice cream parlor again this weekend, despite the lack of a quick solution. He does have a suggestion: “Yes, a police station here on the square. That the police is visible. They also did that in Amsterdam in the 1980s in the Warmoesstraat. Then it was quickly over with the nuisance. the problem if they can’t handle it now? The municipality wants to let the City Park run all the way through to the dike: I think we’d better call it ‘Methadone Park’ if nothing happens.”