Amstelveen looking for former cops to combat burglaries

Amstelveen is setting up an "expertise team" consisting of former police officers to reduce the number of burglaries in the city. The municipality is currently recruiting four former police officers to be part of this team. "It is time for unorthodox measures", the municipality said, NOS reports.

Despite extreme efforts, the number of burglaries in Amstelveen is on the rise again. The police don't have enough capacity for a targeted approach. "The police officers are doing their best, that's not the problem", alderman Herbert Raat said to the broadcaster. "But they have insufficient strength." Amtelveen counts 90 thousand inhabitants. During the week only one surveillance car is patrolling in the city, two on the weekends.

"We have a lot of problems with burglaries. Last year there were 400, it's really commonplace. We tried everything, like WhatsApp groups and subsidies for securing homes. But you actually need more manpower. Then you can choose different solutions. But I'm a big fan of the police, these are the experts we need."

The city made 300 thousand euros available for this special anti-burglary expertise team for the next three years. "We are looking for people with extensive experience. That can be former police officers who retired, but also officers who opted for a different career", Raat said to the broadcaster. The team will start out with four members. The alderman will leave the method of reducing burglaries up to the former officers. "They have to do what they think is most effective."

The anti-burglary team will work closely with the police. "Because the reports are of course received by the police. The advantage is that they speak the same language, are at the same level. That is the most effective", Raat said.