Criminal Youth Gangs Persist

The problem with criminal youth gangs is still not solved. In 2011 Minister Opstelten of Safety and Security aimed to tackle within two years the criminal gangs, which were around 89 by the end of 2010. The report sent to the House on Tuesday, however, states that his approach has not been effective.

RTL.nl reports that although 45 criminal groups are gone, 34 new gangs have been formed. 19 are still active but fall in a different category and 27 criminal groups still exist. The gangs, which consist of very young children, sometimes younger than 12, commit crimes like armed robberies and burglaries.

According to NOS.nl, the minister responded that he while he did not meet his targets, he was on the right track. He did not see any need to change his approach apart from a few minor adjustments.