Heeze-Leende launches door-to-door campaign to tackle rural crime and boost safety
Residents and farmers in Heeze-Leende will receive visits from local authorities on March 26 to discuss rural safety, recognize criminal signs, and learn how to protect their properties. The initiative aims to strengthen community resilience against illegal activities like drug production or human trafficking.
| Key Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | March 26, 2026 |
| Location | Leende and Sterksel (Heeze-Leende municipality, Noord-Brabant) |
| Organizers | Municipality of Heeze-Leende, Police, PVO, ODZOB, ZLTO |
| Focus | Preventing misuse of vacant buildings, recognizing undermining, safety tips |
| Reporting Contacts | Police (0900-8844), Emergency (112), Municipality (040-224 1400), Anonymous (0800-7000) |
| Email for Questions | undermining@heeze-leende.nl |
The municipality of Heeze-Leende plays a coordinating role in local safety initiatives, collaborating with law enforcement and agricultural organizations to address rural crime. This action day is part of broader efforts to prevent undermining and enhance community trust in government interventions.
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Working together for a safe rural area in Heeze-Leende
On Thursday, March 26, 2026, the municipality of Heeze-Leende, the police, Platform Veilig Ondernemen (PVO), ODZOB (Environmental Service South-East Brabant), and the Southern Agriculture and Horticulture Organization (ZLTO) will organize a joint action day in the rural areas of Leende and Sterksel. During this day, they will engage in conversations with residents and agricultural entrepreneurs through so-called "front door" visits.
The rural area is attractive to criminals. Vacant barns, stables, and other buildings can be misused for illegal activities. At the same time, it appears that residents and entrepreneurs do not always know where they can report signs or how they can protect themselves against this.
Low-threshold conversations
The action day takes a different approach than regular inspections. It is explicitly about a preventive and supportive approach. Employees from the municipality, police, PVO, and ZLTO will visit residents and entrepreneurs to discuss safety and answer questions.
During these conversations, attention will be paid to recognizing signs of undermining, such as suspicious situations, unwanted rentals, or attempts to misuse agricultural buildings. Residents will also receive practical tips on how to better protect their yards, barns, and properties.
Stronger together against undermining
The collaboration with PVO and ZLTO ensures that residents and entrepreneurs are informed not only from a safety perspective but also from an entrepreneurial and agricultural practice standpoint. Through this joint approach, the partners aim to increase resilience in the rural area.
The conversations also provide valuable insights into what is happening in the area. By catching signals early, problems can be addressed more quickly.
Trust and contact central
The "front door" visits are not inspection actions. The goal is precisely to establish contact in a low-threshold manner and build trust. Personal contact helps lower the barriers to reporting and makes it easier to share concerns or signals.
About the Dommelstroom Intervention Team
The Dommelstroom Intervention Team is a collaboration between various partners, including the municipality of Heeze-Leende. The DIT regularly conducts inspections at properties and locations where violations are suspected. This includes checks on fire safety, permits, environmental regulations, illegal occupation, energy fraud, drugs, human trafficking, and other abuses.
What can you do?
Governments cannot tackle such violations alone. It is important for residents to report signs. This way, victims can be helped, and unsafe or criminal activities can be stopped.
Have you seen something suspicious or do you suspect criminal activity in your area? You can report this via:
- · Police (non-emergency): 0900 – 8844
- · Police (emergency): 112
- · Municipality of Heeze-Leende: 040 – 224 1400
- · Anonymous Crime Reporting: 0800 – 7000 or www.meldmisdaadanoniem.nl
Reporting via Anonymous Crime Reporting is completely safe and anonymous; your details will not be disclosed.
Questions?
Do you have any questions after our visit or would you like to share something with us? Please feel free to contact the municipality of Heeze-Leende via undermining@heeze-leende.nl or 040 – 224 1400.
Together, we ensure a safe and livable environment.