Four street coaches started making rounds through the village of Nieuw-Weerdinge today. The coaches will help curb the nuisance experienced by safelanders in the village. In addition, security cameras have also been installed in the village.
At the end of October, mayor Eric van Oosterhout announced a large number of measures to alleviate the unrest in the village. The villagers have been experiencing great nuisance for some time due to a small number of asylum seekers, who walk between Emmen and the AZC in Ter Apel.
Burglaries, riots and roaming in gardens create a great sense of insecurity in the village. In addition to the cameras, it has also been agreed that the police will carry out more checks and that a village inspection of unsafe places will take place.
Jihad Lafta and Rachid El Ghoul of security company Secutor started their rounds through Nieuw-Weerdinge today. From Wednesday to Sunday, they or their two colleagues are present in the village between four in the afternoon and about nine in the evening. “We understand that the most nuisance is experienced within these times,” said El Ghoul.
Although Secutor is originally a Limburg company (the head office is in Venray), the employees have also been active in the north since October last year. “We have already worked in Drachten, Winschoten and Beetsterzwaag, among others,” says Lafta. He and El Ghoul are currently also working in the AZC in Ter Apel as a youth and activity counselor.
The two suspect that they know the group that is causing unrest in Nieuw-Weerdinge from the AZC location in Ter Apel. El Ghoul: “I think our presence is already one thing. They know us and we can address them in their own language.” This means that you understand each other faster and come together more quickly. “I try to act like a big brother in that regard.”
As for the unwanted behavior, the two coaches suspect that it could be due to boredom. “These are teenagers,” said Lafta. With the corresponding behavior. In any case, the two expect to get to the point quickly by addressing the young people and pointing out the effect of their behavior. “We consider ourselves bridge builders.”
Meanwhile, a telephone number has been distributed among the villagers, which people can call if they deem it necessary.
Council member Mark Woltman of Wakker Emmen, also a resident of Nieuw-Weerdinge, is happy with the arrival of the coaches. “It’s a start and we hope it helps.” He was involved in the search for an answer to the nuisance. “Nieuw-Weerdinge is on the Emmen-Ter Apel route. Most take the bus, but some, consciously or not, choose to cover the distance on foot. They enter gardens uninvited, thefts take place. People feel not feel safe in their own village.”
Some don’t even dare to go out on the street, according to Woltman. “Because they are sometimes spoken to quite rudely.” According to him, these are usually safe-landers: often young men whose asylum application is doomed to fail because the country of origin is considered safe. “Consultations have been held with both the mayor and local interest and we have come to these solutions. We hope that the coaches can steer everything in the right direction in the near future.”
According to village chairman Wim Katoen, the nuisance mainly takes place at the Tramwijk and the Roswinkelerbrug. “The cameras are therefore placed in those neighborhoods. We see these people walking back and forth often enough. In principle, no problem, as long as they keep their hands off other people’s things.”