Litter, potholes or someone acting suspiciously. The polder brigade is on top of things in the rural area of Kruisland. The prevention team was started after a series of burglaries. Other places in Brabant are now also interested in setting up a polder brigade.
Ingrid de Kock is one of the twenty volunteers of the polder brigade that regularly patrols rural areas. “No figures are available yet, but I’m sure it has become a lot safer. We had a whole series of burglaries in succession in farm sheds here two years ago. We’ve been around for a year now and there hasn’t been a single theft so far.” reported.”
The polder brigade does the same as a neighborhood watch team in residential areas. “We also wear recognizable yellow vests. The only difference is that we go out by car,” Jan Jaspers explains. He is Ingrid’s co-driver today. “There are always two of us and we never leave the car. We have had a course where this was stressed to our hearts. When we see something suspicious, we report it to the police or the local boa.”
“You can meet us at any time of the day.”
The volunteers are on average ‘on duty’ twice a week. They drive about thirty to fifty kilometers per lap. “We do not say when or where in the area we will keep an eye on things. This can be during the day, in the evening and sometimes even at night. You can encounter us at any time of the day. This keeps the element of surprise.” , Ingrid explains.
Ingrid and Jan have never experienced a ‘red-handed act’ yet. Ingrid: “You sometimes see that people run away quickly when they see us. So we certainly have a deterrent effect.” The polder brigade know where to look. “The remote roads in particular are popular for people who have no business here. For example, we recently saw a lot of nitrous oxide capsules here,” says Jan.
“We notice from the responses that people’s sense of safety has returned.”
The polder brigade receives the same compensation as the neighborhood watch teams in the municipality of Steenbergen. In addition, they have received vests, flashlights and magnetic recognition plates for their cars from the municipality. For mileage reimbursement, the volunteers ask for an annual contribution of ten euros from residents in the rural area. Ingrid: “We notice from the reactions that it is working well and that people’s feeling of safety has returned.”
“You have to enjoy doing this together. We have long conversations along the way and that’s quite fun,” says Jan, as he sees a blown-over garbage container on the cycle path. Although it is not actually allowed, he decides to get out of the car to straighten the waste bin. “You can’t leave that lying around, it’s dangerous for cyclists. I sometimes close an open gate, but no one else needs to know that.”