Explosive attacks occur throughout the country and sometimes multiple times a day. Due to fear, the threshold to report is often high. Carola Schouten, mayor of Rotterdam and chair of the Offensive Against Explosions, believes it is important to provide witnesses with a safe reporting place. “The apparent ease with which explosives are placed and disrupt our neighborhoods must really stop. Efforts are being made on all fronts. This public campaign hopefully encourages people to report strange situations. Cobras in storage boxes, a cousin being approached for a quick job, these are valuable signals to reduce the number of explosions. The eyes and ears of everyone are needed.”
Feeling of safety in the neighborhood
For Coen Hoefnagel, head of Operations unit North Netherlands and partner in the Offensive Against Explosions (OTE), this campaign is an important step: “The ease of obtaining, placing, and detonating explosives has a huge impact on victims and also affects the feeling of safety in the neighborhood. For us as police, it is crucial to stop these acts and prevent new attacks. Meld Misdaad Anoniem gives people the chance to share their information safely and completely anonymously. Every tip, no matter how small, can make a difference. This information is often crucial for tracking down suspects and understanding the networks behind this violence. Together with our partners, we work every day to tackle this problem firmly and make neighborhoods safer again. The eyes and ears of everyone are needed.”
Every signal counts
Meld Misdaad Anoniem receives more than 24,000 reports annually, which help solve cases daily. Spokesperson Marc Janssen of Meld Misdaad Anoniem explains how small signals can indicate that something is wrong: “We receive calls daily about possible incidents involving explosions or dangerous fireworks. People can come to us with suspicious signals around a house or business or if someone is offering fireworks or explosives for sale.” Relatively often, young perpetrators are involved in placing explosives. Janssen: “They can be sensitive to quick money, status, and sensation. They are willing to take great risks for a pittance. People sometimes see early on that a young person is being approached for an attack. For example, because someone suddenly has a lot of cash or expensive items, is in contact with strangers, is under pressure, is asked to do odd jobs, or is leaving home often. That is valuable information.”
Joint approach
The first municipalities joining the campaign are Rotterdam, Almere, Zwijndrecht, Alblasserdam, Papendrecht, Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht, Sliedrecht, Delft, Zaanstad, Roosendaal, and Baarn. They spread the campaign through their own channels. Additionally, residents, entrepreneurs, and youth are reached through an online campaign on Snapchat, Google Facebook, and Instagram, meetings, and target-oriented actions.
The campaign is an initiative of the Offensive Against Explosions. The Offensive is a collaboration between the Ministry of Justice and Security, police, Public Prosecution Service, Aedes (on behalf of the housing corporations), municipalities (G4, G40, and the Association of Dutch Municipalities), the Association of Insurers, the probation organizations, and VNO-NCW and MKB Netherlands (on behalf of the business community). They join forces to reduce the number of explosive attacks.
More information about the campaign and recognizable signals can be found at https://www.meldmisdaadanoniem.nl/onderwerpen/explosiegeweld.
