However, youth crime does not stop at the borders of (large) urban areas. Therefore, 20 additional municipalities have been asked to create an action plan for the urgent and relatively serious issues they face with young people in crime. These municipalities include: Almelo, Bergen op Zoom, Brunssum, Den Helder, Diemen, Gouda, Haarlem, Hoorn, Kerkrade, Leiden, Middelburg, Nissewaard, Oosterhout, Rijswijk, Roermond, Venray, Vlissingen, Zoetermeer, Zutphen, and Zwolle.

This was stated by Minister Yeşilgöz-Zegerius of Justice and Security and Minister Weerwind for Legal Protection in a letter to the House of Representatives today. The ministers are jointly investing in the broad approach - Prevention with Authority - to prevent children, young people, and young adults aged 8 to 27 from getting involved in crime or sliding further into it.

Despite a general decrease in youth crime in the Netherlands over the past 20 years, there are significant differences across the country and concerning developments are visible in neighborhoods where young people commit serious offenses such as weapon, drug, and violent crimes. Therefore, investments are focused on those areas where it is most needed. Municipalities do this in collaboration with all involved partners in the direct living environment of the youth: from the police, the Public Prosecution Service (OM), judiciary, Child Protection Board, probation services, Foundation Halt, Care and Safety Houses, to teachers in schools, youth work, youth care, local entrepreneurs, and employers.

To make a difference in the 20 new municipalities, it is essential to gain a good understanding of the specific issues and the target group to intervene timely and effectively with promising and proven interventions. They can use the lessons learned from the 27 municipalities and align with the learning approach of Prevention with Authority. The 20 municipalities have been asked to present their plans this spring. Based on that, municipalities can receive €500,000 per year for a period of 3 years. It is expected that the municipalities can start implementing their plans before the summer.

The approach requires perseverance to prevent young people from getting involved in crime and sliding further into it. There will also be adjustments based on new insights and developments. This will happen, among other things, based on a monitoring and evaluation cycle, in which the 20 new municipalities will also be involved. In this cycle, both the progress of the activities and the issues in the participating municipalities will be monitored. For this purpose, a crime problem monitor will be developed in collaboration with the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). The first publication in this monitor was released earlier this year about the 27 municipalities that are now in the implementation phase of Prevention with Authority (Exploration Monitor Prevention with Authority from CBS). This monitor will be expanded later this year.

Furthermore, the Scientific Research and Data Center (WODC) conducts periodic research on the development of youth crime, and municipalities and the involved parties in the approach exchange experiences. For instance, a meeting was held today in Arnhem with approximately 300 participants from the field on what works to prevent young entrants and progressors in crime. Professionals from the 20 new municipalities were already present at this event.