If it were up to local police officer Rob Doorneveld, everyone would go app from Burgernet to use. He is active as a local police officer in De Leyens and sees how much the police benefit from attentive citizens: “It’s as if I have ten thousand extra pairs of ears and eyes.”
With the Burgernet app can you help solve crimes or find missing people. You will receive a notification via the app if something happens in your area. Have you seen something and should the police know? Then you can contact them by telephone directly via the app. You can decide for which locations you receive notifications. This could be in your own neighborhood, for example, but also at your child’s school or your parents’ home.
Local police officer in De Leyens
As a local police officer, Rob knows better than anyone how useful it is when the police and local residents work together via Burgernet. “I have been active in the police for forty years,” he says. “I have been a local police officer for quite some time. First in The Hague, then in Zoetermeer in the Rokkeveen and Buytenwegh districts.”
Rob now enjoys working in De Leyens. “The best thing about police work is that I am at the center of society. I am visible, recognizable and approachable in the neighborhood. People appreciate that. In turn, they help me in my work.”
Help each other via Burgernet
Help the police? People do this, among other things, via the Burgernet app. If something suspicious happens in the area or someone is missing, Rob ensures that a notification is sent to the app. “Everyone in the area who has the app will then receive a message on their phone. This regularly ensures that a case is resolved more quickly,” says Rob.
Girl missing
This was the case, for example, when a six-year-old girl recently went missing in Zoetermeer. “She had had a fight at home and secretly ran away,” Rob explains. “That is terrifying for the parents and it is very important that you find such a girl as quickly as possible.”
“Fortunately, by reporting it via Burgernet, she was found within a few hours. After seeing the report, local residents even jumped on their bikes to join the search. Isn’t that fantastic?”
Pay attention in the neighborhood
Rob and his colleagues have already been helped by Zoetermeer residents via Burgernet. “Not long ago, a demented man got lost,” he says. “He had to be found quickly for his own safety. Less than an hour and a half later we received a report that he had been seen. That could have turned out very differently without attentive local residents.”
People are also sometimes notified via Burgernet to keep their eyes open if someone is on the run after, for example, a theft. “Then I would like to urge people not to give chase themselves. But please let the police know and we will investigate it immediately.”
Download the app now
Do you, like Rob, think it is important to work hard for a safe society? Then downloading the Burgernet app is a great first step. Rob: “We could really use that help. All those eyes see more than I can see alone.”
If you become the victim of a crime, you would also want your neighbors to help find the perpetrator. Download the app and help make your neighborhood safer!