The Red Light District, Nieuwmarkt and part of Dam Square, among others, were designated as safety risk areas in September. Later, the area around the Nieuwezijds, north of Dam Square, was added.
The safety risk area was designated after the number of incidents involving weapons increased by 30 percent at the beginning of this year. Residents and entrepreneurs have been saying this for a long time that they felt increasingly unsafe in the area.
In a safety risk area, the police may search everyone there as a precaution, without the need for suspicion. In the first six weeks since its introduction, the police carried out six control actions. A total of 3,977 people were searched. There were also 138 searches.
Sense of security
Most of the objects seized fall under the term ‘stabbing weapon’, which includes not only knives, but also scissors, for example. Six arrests were also made due to the discovery of hard drugs intended for trade. Three suspects were also arrested after large sums of money were found with them. They are suspected of money laundering.
A satisfaction survey by the municipality shows that the majority of residents and entrepreneurs feel safer since the introduction of the safety risk area. The survey also shows that about three-quarters of residents would like to see it extended. The safety risk area now applies until January 2. The measure was originally supposed to last until October 24, but the mayor extended it by ten weeks.
The question is whether the city council will continue to find it acceptable for much longer that anyone walking through this part of the old city center can simply be searched. The city council will debate this on Thursday.
Southeast
There have also been several searches in Zuidoost recently. This happened after a period with several violent incidents, the most notable of which was the shooting on August 7, in which 17-year-old Rivaldo was killed.
More than a week after Rivaldo’s death, on August 15, two areas in South East designated as a safety risk area. In about a month, the police carried out 17 checks, during which 1,065 people and 269 vehicles were searched. A total of 18 knives, pepper spray and brass knuckles were found during the actions.