Crime in Amsterdam down in 2008

[Puffin13]

Crime in Amsterdam down in 2008

However aggression towards police is on the rise, says Amsterdam’s police chief.

AMSTERDAM – Amsterdam became a safer place to live and work in 2008.

In a New Year speech, the city's police chief Bernard Welten said the number of reported crimes had decreased. There were fewer robberies of shops and offices, and both pickpocketing and violent crime were down.

However, Welten added that aggression towards policemen increased in 2008, with 1,800 reported cases. A quarter involved physical violence while the remaining consisted of verbal abuse and threats. Welten described this as "beyond the bounds of civilisation".

The police chief also announced the launch of a new police website aimed at tracing convicted criminals who have dodged serving their prison sentences. The site lists 42 fugitive convicts.

The police previously launched a similar site to track down robbery suspects.

Source