Police preparing themselves for another "heavy" New Year's

The police are preparing for another "heavy" New Year, considering the increase in powerful and illegal fireworks. "Cobras have the power of a hand grenade. You cannot completely protect healthcare staff from that," said Peije de Meij, New Year's Eve coordinator for the police.

More than 60,000 kilograms of fireworks have already been confiscated this year. They mainly originated Poland, the Czech Republic, and other countries. They often enter the Netherlands via the mail.

"We keep getting better at tracking it down, but it is a drop in the ocean. They are made and traded elsewhere in Europe, and we cannot do anything about that here."

Illegal fireworks can cause physical harm and permanent hearing damage to the people setting them off, but they are also often used against first responders. Last year, 155 police officers had to deal with violence during New Year's, and in "many places," they were struck with heavy fireworks.

”Several were either wounded or left with permanent hearing damage due to the attacks. That is unacceptable and an additional concern. It means that some colleagues go into a night like this with a heavy heart," said De Meij. Despite the staff shortages during the New Year, there will be enough officers on duty, he said.

To try to reduce the number of incidents during the New Year holiday, the police are working together with key figures in the neighborhoods or inside a network. For example, neighborhood parents. "This way, we know where to expect trouble and figure out the best way to handle it."

According to De Meij, enforcement is becoming increasingly difficult because more and more municipalities are opting for a local fireworks ban. "It has become a huge patchwork," said the coordinator about the rules that differ per village and city. It is difficult to tell if this will lead to fewer arrests and incidents.

"It has everything to do with compliance with the rules: do people adhere to such a ban on setting them off? A national ban would make it clearer."