If the Dutch police officers have their way, people caught throwing fireworks at police officers and other first responders will henceforth be charged with attempted murder. The police also want a ban on exploding fireworks and rockets, National Police chief Erik Akerboom said on Monday, NU.nl reports.
New Year's
Jan 19 '17 17:05
The Hague police officer Mario was buried with solemn dignity in Boskoop on Thursday. The 36-year-old officer sustained severe brain injuries when he was hit by a car over New Year's. He died after being in a coma for a week and a half.
Jan 10 '17 07:37
Police officer Mario from Boskoop, who was hit by a car on the Kaaseplein in The Hague over New Year's, passed away on Monday night, the Hague police announced on Facebook. The 36-year-old cop sustained severe brain injuries in the accident and was in a coma since it happened.
Jan 6 '17 11:30
The police will not launch a new investigation into the death of Johan de Lange from Meppel. The 54-year-old man died in hospital three days after a firework exploded in his face over New Year's. According to the police, interviews with witnesses showed that De Lange lit the firework himself and was careless, AD reports.
De Lange sustained a head injury when a firework he lit himself exploded near his face. It seems that he lit the firework, stepped back and then went closer again when the firework did not go off. It exploded in his face. He died in hospital 3.5 days later.
Jan 5 '17 13:15
The police judge in The Hague on Wednesday sentenced Ricardo U. to four months in jail for assaulting a police officer at a New Year's party in Zoetermeer. The 46-year-old man from Moerkapelle must also spend the next two New Year's at home, the Telegraaf reports.
One month of the prison sentence is conditionally suspended. The sentence is equal to what the Public Prosecutor demanded.
Jan 4 '17 08:19
A total of 473 people were treated for firework injuries in the nearly 90 emergency departments in Dutch hospitals over New Year's, according to research done by NOS and VeiligheidNL. That is slightly less than the 480 people treated for fireworks injuries last year.
The decrease in fireworks injuries was much smaller this year than in the previous two years. In both 2015 and 2016 there was a 14 percent decrease, according to the broadcaster.
Jan 3 '17 14:30
Barneveld police officer Roy Poortman was, along with colleagues and firefighters, twice pelted with fireworks over New Year's. In an open letter to the perpetrators behind the fireworks bombs, he calls them cowards and thanks them for the damage to his hearing and a fun evening overall.
Jan 3 '17 10:53
The sister-in-law of Hague police officer Mario, who is still in critical condition after being hit by a car during New Year's, criticized mayor Jozias van Aartsen for calling it a "reasonable" celebration. "How can you speak of a reasonable New Year's while someone is fighting for his life?" she wrote on Facebook, according to Den Haag FM.
Jan 3 '17 09:18
Fireworks did some 13 million euros in damage to individuals homes and cars' in the Netherlands over New Year's, according to an initial estimate by the Dutch Association of Insurers. The amount is slightly less than the 14 million euros in fireworks damages last New Year's, NU.nl reports.
Jan 2 '17 11:20
The police delivered a total of 344 people to the Public Prosecutor for committing various crimes over New Year's - a significant increase over last year's 276, the Prosecutor announced, AD reports.
Jan 2 '17 10:40
At least 27 people fell ill at a New Year's celebration in the Friesland town of Damwoude around 4:00 a.m. on Sunday morning. They suffered from stinging eyes and breathing difficulties, NU.nl reports.
The affected people were taken to a a sports hall where they were examined and treated by Red Cross workers. No one was sent to the hospital.
According to broadcaster NOS, two party attendees got into a fight and one of them opened a canister of tear gas. The police are still investigating what substance was involved.
Jan 2 '17 10:00
With outside temperatures of -4 degrees and seawater temperatures of around 7 degrees, some 50 thousand Dutch people took the traditional New Year's plunge at 142 locations in the Netherlands around noon on Sunday, RTL Nieuws reports.
The plunge at Scheveningen, The Hague was most popular with over 10 thousand people diving into freezing cold water.A spokesperson for the organizers called the plunge "nice and crisp",.
Despite the low temperatures, no one became hypothermic or was injured in any other way.
Jan 2 '17 08:40
The Dutch police took tweets in which a police chief criticized Security and Justice Minister Ard van der Steur offline on Sunday, a spokesperson for the Hague police said to AD. In the tweet the police chief reacted with annoyance to Van der Steur calling violence against emergency services personnel "unacceptable".
Jan 2 '17 08:00
The Netherlands' entered 2017 without any major problems. There were a number minor clashes between police and party goers, but not massive incidents. Emergency services throughout the country had to deal with young people pelting fireworks at them during the course of their duties.
A police officer in The Hague was seriously injured after being hit by a car. But according to the police, this was an accident - there is no sign of intent, according to the Volkskrant.
Dec 27 '16 16:15
Pyrotechnics Netherlands, the sector association for fireworks in the Netherlands, expects that this year will again see a decline in the number of loud bangers sold, and an increase in the number of fancy, pretty fireworks, spokesperson Leo Groeneveld said to the Telegraaf. According to him, consumers are increasingly focused on quality, decorative fireworks.
Dec 27 '16 15:40
Millions of birds take flight in the Netherlands at midnight on New Year's, according to BirdLife Netherlands. They are startled by the Dutch tradition of New Year's fireworks, the organization sad on the website Nature Today on Tuesday.
Dec 27 '16 09:54
Earlier this month State Secretary Klaas Dijkhoff of Security and Justice suggested that mayors keep problem causing asylum seekers under a form of house arrest during the holidays. But forcing asylum seekers to stay inside goes against Dutch law, legal experts from the Center for Public Order and Safety said to broadcaster BNR.
Dec 13 '16 08:28
State Secretary Klaas Dijkhoff of Security and Justice wants to keep problem causing asylum seekers under "house arrest" over New Year's, he said on radio program Dit is de Dag on Monday.
"This is specifically involves people we know are irritating in each municipality. These are people with a criminal record or who the police often have to send away or cause inconvenience", Dijkhoff said. According to him, putting them under house arrest is possible, because local authorities have files about troublemakers.
May 19 '16 09:56
The traditional New Year's bonfires in The Hague are in danger of being banned. As they are now, the fires are "unacceptable from a safety standpoint", Hague Mayor Jozias van Aartsen wrote to the municipal council
Jan 13 '16 10:03
Vandalism in Rotterdam around New Year's cost the municipality at least half a million euros. This includes some 340 thousand euros and damages and costs in cleanup and repairs
Jan 7 '16 10:38
Prime Minister Mark Rutte calls the large number of sexual violence incidents in Cologne, Germany over New Year's "completely unacceptable". "It is disgusting and too bizarre for words"
Jan 4 '16 11:50
The fireworks complaint hotline Vuurwerkoverlast closed on Sunday with a total of 89.874 thousand complaints, nearly 18 thousand more than last year.
Jan 1 '16 13:50
Two people were taken to the hospital after an out of control car crashed into a group of celebrants enjoying New Year’s festivities in Den Haag. The 25-year-old driver was arrested after a brethalyzer test showed he was more than six times over the legal alcohol limit, police said.
Jan 1 '16 13:25
Two young men were seriously hurt after falling from a rooftop just after midnight in Utrecht. The 18-year-olds were rushed to the hospital in critical condition, police said in a statement.
