Record number of reports about problems caused by "disturbed" persons

In 2022, the police received a record number of reports of nuisance caused by people with “disturbed” behavior. The police registered 138,000 such reports last year, compared to only about 60,000 in 2014. That is evident from an analysis of police figures by ANP. Nearly half of all municipalities received a record number of complaints last year.

The exact cause of the increase is still under investigation, the police said. According to a spokesperson, “troubled times, shortages in mental health care, and loneliness” are possible factors. The police also noticed that disturbed behavior is often due to financial problems.

Compared to 2021, the number of reports rose the fastest in the Gelderland municipalities of Hattem and Epe and in Oirschot in Noord-Brabant last year. Of the 20 large municipalities, the number of complaints about people with disturbed behavior increased the most in Nijmegen, Apeldoorn, and Zaandstad. In all these municipalities, reports increased by about 30 percent on an annual basis. In absolute numbers, the most complaints about people with disturbed behavior were in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and The Hague.

ANP couldn’t say whether the number of individual people showing disturbed behavior also increased. It is possible that several reports were made about the same person.

The police said they were concerned about the increase in the number of reports and the severity of the incidents. “Nuisance reports do not include violent crimes. For example, if a person with psychosis stabs someone, it is not included in these figures. As a result, the figures may be an underestimation of the actual problems caused by disturbed people,” said the police.