The decreases relate to various categories of crime, such as robberies (-83%), drug trafficking, manufacture and possession (-38%), car squatting (-37%), domestic violence (-28%) and other violent cases, such as sexual offenses (-27%). The regional trends actually show an increase (+3%) in the number of registered crime reports and reports. The decreases may be related to targeted measures, with additional enforcement of drug violations in specific areas. By using the General Local Ordinance (APV) together with criminal law, the municipality can take faster and more effective action against drug violations.
Hilversum also sees a number of increases in crime reports and reports, especially in pickpocketing (+64%), shoplifting (+24%), reports of youth nuisance (+10%) and burglaries/thefts at companies and institutions (+12%) . These increases can partly be attributed to encouraging willingness to report and improved registration and processing methods. Because local police officers actively approach retailers, there is a lower threshold for reporting crime. This leads to a better insight into the actual number of thefts.
Digitized crime and cybercrime
Registrations of digitized crime and cybercrime remain stable, while regional trends show a decrease (-3% and -21% respectively). Digitized crime concerns traditional crimes enhanced by ICT, such as WhatsApp fraud or digital stalking, while cybercrime focuses on ICT systems with activities such as hacking. This stability in Hilversum against regional declines underlines the importance of continued attention and adjustment of local strategies to effectively combat these forms of crime.
Integrated Safety Plan
In the coming year, the municipality will continue to focus on the priorities from the Integrated Security Plan (IVP) 2023-2026, such as drug trafficking on the street, undermining, social unrest and digital security. In addition, there are themes such as youth nuisance, people with misunderstood behavior and road safety. Mayor Gerhard van den Top: “The favorable development in these figures seems to indicate that our efforts are effective. I see them mainly as an encouragement to continue investing together in preventing and combating crime for a safe Hilversum.”