Greater Focus on Drug-Related Crime in Leiden Bollenstreek

The Leiden-Bollenstreek Police Department—the district that includes Voorschoten—has long observed that drug-related crime is becoming an increasingly prominent part of the public safety issue. To increase the likelihood of apprehending offenders, the police will quickly exchange information throughout the entire district and conduct more checks.

While the proportion of traditional crimes such as residential burglaries and robberies is declining or remaining stable, cybercrime and disturbances caused by drug dealing are on the rise. The issue is also frequently discussed by the police with their security partners and residents in the area they serve.

Police resources in the Leiden-Bollenstreek region are under strain. Still, it’s time for action, says sector head Marieke van den Bosch: “The drug trade comes with many unpleasant side effects. People are experiencing disturbances, it attracts unsavory characters, criminal money is being invested in real estate through shell companies, neighborhood residents feel unsafe or intimidated, young people are tempted to use or deal drugs, and there are plenty of other issues we simply don’t want to deal with.”

Approach

It’s time for the district to tackle this problem head-on and make combating drug trafficking a top priority in the coming period. By quickly sharing information across the entire district and conducting more checks, the police will increase their chances of apprehending drug dealers. They will also inform partners such as municipalities, healthcare providers, and schools or institutions wherever possible and work together to ensure that any red flags are properly addressed.

It is certainly not the intention to rely solely on criminal justice measures. Often, that does not solve anything in the long run. It is much more important to offer young people alternatives and to provide them with proper guidance in making choices that benefit both society and the young people themselves.

No arbitrariness

So it’s quite possible that residents will see police in the neighborhood more often in the coming period or be stopped more frequently than usual. Marieke explains: “As a district, we place a high priority on conducting professional stops, so officers must be able to justify their actions and explain to the individuals involved why they are being stopped. We’re not going to stop people at random simply because they match a certain description, for example.”

Result

The results from the first two weeks clearly show that these efforts are paying off. Ten drug trafficking cases were investigated, resulting in the arrest of a total of eleven suspects. A total of over 3,000 euros was seized, along with nine passenger cars, a scooter, and sixteen cell phones. A total of 518 units of hard drugs were seized, including, for example, “pony packs” and “bolletjes.”