The number of incidents involving disturbed persons has been rising for years. This not only leads to disturbances but sometimes also to more serious issues. Martin Sitalsing, police chief, states: ‘In acute situations, such as hostage situations or violence, we must intervene. However, these people often need help. The police are not caregivers, so more attention to care is necessary. The government must prioritize this and allocate sufficient resources.’
Of the suspects arrested last year, one in five had a record of disturbed behavior.
Further Decrease in Recorded Crimes
In 2024, the number of recorded crimes was half a percent lower than in 2023. The decrease is particularly visible in shoplifting and traffic crimes. The decrease in shoplifting may be related to supermarket measures.
The number of burglaries decreased to 22,305, a reduction of 2 percent. In 2013, there were still 92,000 burglaries.
Pickpocketing decreased by 24 percent, mainly in the second half of the year. This number had almost doubled in 2022 compared to the pandemic years.
Explosive Attacks
There was a significant increase in explosive attacks, from 901 in 2023 to 1244 in 2024. Jos van der Stap states: ‘We see the consequences of explosions daily. The problem is the easy access to firework explosives and the firework culture in the Netherlands. This leads to personal conflicts being resolved with violence. We are working with partners on a solution.’
Crimes involving fireworks show a decline, as the figures are not yet complete in January.
Online Crime
In contrast to the decrease in cybercrime, there is an increase in online crime, such as fraud in online trading and request fraud.
Stable Number of Disturbance Incidents
The number of disturbance incidents remained consistent with 2023. Reports of disturbances by youth rose by 7 percent. Since the lifting of COVID-19 measures, there have been fewer reports of noise disturbances.
The number of public drunkenness cases decreased by 12 percent, from 6046 to 5394 reports.
More Priority 1 Reports Nationwide
In 2024, the police responded to 83.7 percent of emergency calls within fifteen minutes. This is slightly lower than in previous years, but still good considering the increase in priority 1 reports.