Amsterdam wants more undercover policing in Red Light District

The Amsterdam mayor and aldermen want to hire more undercover officers to police the Red Light District, mayor Eberhard van der Laan wrote to the city council. The council previously agreed that no more than 25 external undercover officers will be hired, but the mayor believes that more is necessary, Het Parool reports.

The undercover officers will focus on dealing with muggers, dealers selling fake dope and disruptive tourists. They'll work mainly at night. Hiring external forces is necessary because many of the city's enforcement officers are over the age of 55 and deploying them at night is too onerous, according to the newspaper.

Amsterdam is putting together a special team of enforcers and police officers who will focus on the above mentioned problems from a police station on Nieuwmarkt.