Burglaries drop nine percent as crime falls nationwide

The number of burglaries throughout the Netherlands dropped by 9 percent last year, compared to 2014. All in all fewer than 65 thousand homes were broken into in the country in 2015, according to figures released by Statistics Netherlands on Wednesday. Despite the nationwide drop, one in three municipalities in the Netherlands actually saw an increase in in the number of burglaries last year. According to Statistics Netherlands, this points out that local circumstances also play a significant role in the development of the number of burglaries. Three of the four large Dutch cities saw a decrease in burglaries last year. Utrecht saw the burglaries drop by 20 percent. In Rotterdam and Amsterdam the decline was 11 and 8 percent respectively. In The Hague, however, the number of burglaries increased with 10 percent in 2015. In 7.3 percent of 2015 burglaries the police had at least one suspect that same year. In 2014 it was 7.8 percent. Between 2007 and 2012 the number of burglaries increased each year. But after that it dropped by more than 30 percent. Even The Hague had fewer burglaries last year than in 2012. All in all 5 percent fewer crimes were reported last year. Almost all types of crimes showed a decrease compared to 2014. Burglaries, vandalism and crimes against public order showed the strongest decline with 9 percent. Property crimes decreased by 3 percent