A’dam police call for stiffer penalties 19/10/2007 00:00

19 October 2007

AMSTERDAM – The youths who are committing offences and causing nuisance in the Amsterdam district Slotervaart should be punished more severely. Police commissioner Hans Schönfeld, a member of the Amsterdam police force, has called on the magistrates to impose severer penalties. “When we run in the youths and they are released again just a few days later then it gets very difficult to tackle this group,” said Schönfeld in the AD.

Schönfeld believes that the penalties imposed by the magistrates are too light. "Twelve days for a burglary, for instance. While these guys are repeat offenders." He wants the magistrates to also look at a suspect’s track record when deciding on a penalty.

The police know the hard core members of the group of youths in the neighbourhood, according to the police commissioner. "The group consists of approximately 35 youths between 12 and 18. They are constantly committing offences: vandalism, violence, theft, burglary and so on."

[Copyright Expatica News + ANP 2007]
Subject: Dutch news