According to Kamerling, there are also regularly people who spend the night in the dug-outs and material from the association is destroyed. He points to a destroyed goal, where the bar of the posts has been demolished. “That has happened twice.”
Sex workers and drug rugs
AMHC Westerpark also notices the consequences. Chairman Quirine Eijkman speaks of deterioration: According to her, there are indications that drugs are being used – needles have been found – and that there are regular sex workers on the site. “Not at times when there are children, luckily, but it does contribute to the feeling of insecurity.”
And according to Eijkman there are also destruction and thefts. She points a staircase from the clubhouse on a window in a door at the top. “That window has taken six times – that costs us 1300 euros each time.” According to her, the members are rotating for that. The pinnacle was the incident with the meter-high building jetty, which the club uses to take video recordings. Recently it was stolen in its entirety.
‘Time of talking past’
Both presidents argue for intervention by the municipality. But that doesn’t seem easy. Eijkman and Kamerling say that they have been told several times that municipal enforcers are not allowed to enter the sports park. Although the municipality has since indicated that it wants to talk to the clubs, frustration is growing.
“As far as we are concerned, the time of talking is over,” says Eijkman. “If you open a park to everyone, there must also be something in return.”
Kamerling agrees: “We ask for measures needed to keep this site open in a safe way.” And he promises: if civil servants or municipal administrators want to come by, the coffee is ready for them.