The playground on the Jacob van Heemskerkstraat in Huizen has been terrorized by young people for years. Playing children would be abused, intimidated, beaten and kicked by other children. Mayor Niek Meijer, together with Versa Welzijn, entered into discussions with the local residents to ‘create a liveable and pleasant neighbourhood’.
It has been a source of concern for years: the playground on Jacob van Heemskerkstraat in Huizen. A dichotomy has developed between children who like to play there after school and a group of young ringleaders who harass, intimidate or even kick and punch other children. Many children no longer dare to go to the playground.
Problem location
The ‘community workers’ of Versa Welzijn had already spotted this problem location before. “It has been going on for years; sometimes it is less, sometimes it is more,” says Wanda Griffioen, community worker at Versa Welfare. Community workers help residents of a neighborhood, among other things, to improve the quality of life there.
The construction workers drive around in Het Gooi with a tuktuk as a kind of ‘coffee table’ to discuss neighborhood problems. Mayor Niek Meijer van Huizen had indicated that he would like to come along to such a neighborhood meeting. Versa Welzijn seemed to be the right place for this. Concerned parents could tell their story there and ask questions to the mayor. The concerned parents were present at the pre-announced meeting, but not the parents of the troublemakers.
No parental supervision
That is also a problem Griffioen acknowledges. There is little insight into who the parents of the problem youth are. Little or no supervision is to be expected from them. However, there have been several police surveillance. “No criminal offenses are being committed yet,” says Griffioen, “but we don’t know everything because people are sometimes also tired of reporting.”
The parents of the intimidated children have tried everything against the nuisance, but now they are at their wits end, according to Mayor Meijer. That is why he first ‘listened carefully and asked a number of questions.’ The municipality will look at the problems and try to achieve more with a different approach.
As the mayor puts it: “An approach in which several parties are involved. Where everyone goes in the same direction, we help people but also limit behavior.” Mayor Meijer is curious to see what will come out of it and whether this will have the effect that the parents want, namely a liveable and pleasant neighborhood in which everyone ‘may be’.
Learn to play together again
The approach will mainly come from Versa Welzijn and the community workers. They are focusing on more connection. Wanda Griffioen hopes that there will be a better ‘mix’ between the young people through youth work in the neighborhood and by developing more activities. “We have to teach them to play together again,” says Griffioen. In the coming weeks, community workers will be going into the neighborhood to talk to local residents. “We’re just going to ring the bell, because we want to reach everyone.”
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