Crime down a third in 10 years; more feel secure

There has been a considerable decrease in the number of Dutch victims of common crime such as violence, property crimes and vandalism in the pas 10 years. There has also been a decrease in people who feel unsafe in their neighborhoods. This is according to figures published by Statistics Netherlands today. In the period between 2005 and 2014, the number of people aged 15 years and older who describe themselves as a victim of a crime has dropped by more than 30 percent. The strongest decrease was in vandalism, followed by property crime such as burglary or theft. The feeling of insecurity also decreased over this period. In 2005 nearly half (48 percent) of Dutch people indicated they felt unsafe. Last year that percentage dropped to 36 percent. Citizens between the ages of 18 and 34 years are most likely to feel unsafe. They are proportionately also the most frequent victims of crime.