IJmuiden became national news last week after Mayor Frank Dales declared almost the entire town a safety risk area. The NH editors therefore moved into the coastal town in recent days to find out what such a measure would do to its residents. Do they still feel safe? How do they feel about their city being declared a safety risk area? In a few days, the issue was discussed from all kinds of perspectives: from the mayor to residents, from youth workers to shopkeepers.
Since last week, IJmuiden has been declared a safety risk area by Mayor Frank Dales. No fewer than thirty serious violent incidents have taken place here in the past three months. Shelling of houses, fireworks bombs, explosives hung at a nightclub, but also fights and various stabbings.
Last resort
According to the mayor of Velsen, the municipality to which IJmuiden falls, the severe measure is about the last resort he has to protect the residents of IJmuiden against all drug-related violence. This is what he said during one walk and extensive interview this week.
Will the average IJmuide resident notice much of the new and rigorous measure? Many residents noticed not much by. Joop Sinnige, IJmond police chief, thought so not so strange. He explained that you should actually view such an area as an invisible blanket, but at the same time, if bumblebees do arise, the police have all the tools to intervene immediately.
The most important tool that the police can use by declaring IJmuiden a safety risk area is preventive body searches. An often criticized drug, because not everyone is convinced that it has an effect. IJmuiden residents are quite happy with the measure, but for a completely different reason than the violent drug war, according to one Q&A at the market and at the fishmonger.
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