One-third fewer Dutch youths referred to Halt, program for first-time offenders
In 2024, 10,500 Dutch youths aged 12 to 18 were referred to Halt, the national program for minor offenses, a decrease of 6,100 from 2014. Despite the overall decline over the past decade, the number of referrals has stabilized since 2021 at roughly 10,000 per year, the CBS reported.
Property crimes remain the most common reason for referral, followed by truancy violations and fireworks-related offenses. In 2024, there were 1,630 referrals for property crimes, 1,700 for truancy violations, and 1,100 for fireworks offenses, according to provisional CBS figures.
Gender and age differences are also evident. Three-quarters of Halt referrals are boys, mirroring long-term trends in police-reported youth offenses. Fifteen-year-olds are the most likely to receive an intervention.
Referrals vary by education level. Youths in vmbo schools received the most Halt interventions (3,300), followed by mbo students (2,800) and havo/vwo students (2,300). Relative to the size of the school population, the highest rates were at special secondary education and practical schools, while havo and vwo students were referred less often. CBS noted this pattern has remained stable in recent years.
Referrals are concentrated in certain municipalities. Tilburg, ’s-Hertogenbosch, Breda, and Eindhoven have the highest numbers of young residents referred to Halt. Leiden also records relatively high rates. In contrast, Ede and Zwolle have few referrals, and Utrecht has the lowest among major cities, with 63 per 10,000 youths.
