The mayors in East Groningen want to see more police officers in their area. That is an important signal that must be taken seriously by politicians in The Hague and the police leadership in Groningen.
The disappearance of the government and legal authority from rural areas and regions such as East Groningen, the Peat Colonies and South-East Drenthe has been a long-standing trend. For decades, the choice has been made to strengthen the Randstad and the government has allowed the shrinkage in the region to continue.
There are of course quite rational arguments for this. There is more crime in the big cities than in the region, which means that more police appear to be needed there. It is also due to technology: a lot of work, including police work, is online. Moreover, crime has been declining throughout the Netherlands for years. There is less violence and fewer thefts, which also means the police have less to do on the streets.
The result is that the police are less visible on the streets. Many police stations in the region are closed or understaffed and there are fewer police cars on the streets. That is not good for the sense of security. Especially because many other government services have also closed their doors.
In various reports and especially the research Every region counts! This problem has been raised with politicians. Political parties are falling over each other this election campaign with great promises to the region. But in practice very little comes of it.
The feeling of insecurity reinforces itself. An investigation commissioned by the Public Prosecution Service showed last year that criminal and shady entrepreneurs abuse the invisibility of the authorities in Groningen and Drenthe. More buildings are being used for drug production and trafficking, gangs are prevalent in the countryside, but there is also more often subversion. In addition, the police regularly have to go to Ter Apel for problems, especially with the safelanders.
High time that more supervision became visible in our provinces.