NCJ Number
133674
Date Published
1991
Length
77 pages
Annotation
Information from police statistics and victimization surveys show substantial increases in crime in the Netherlands from the 1970's to 1990 and a slight increase in fear of crime during the 1980's.
Abstract
However, crime declined slightly in 1990, and fear of crime is not increasing, although the public considers crime to be a major problem in the Netherlands. The rate of clearances by the police has declined with the rise in crime, with about 22 percent of the 1990 crimes cleared. Businesses experienced about 3.5 million crimes and total losses of $2.1 billion; residences about 6.3 million incidents and total losses of $1.6 billion; and the public sector 1.5 million incidents and losses of $0.7 billion. Vandalism, bicycle theft, and threats are particularly common crimes, although they do not cause a major proportion of the financial losses. The surveys also show that young people are more at risk of victimization than older people and that men are more at risk than women. No direct relationship exists between victimization risk and fear of crime, however. Victimization risks are higher in the western, most urban part of the country, particularly in the central parts of cities, and lower in the countryside. Citizen crime precautions can reduce victimization risks, and increasing numbers of individuals and businesses are using burglary-safe locks, alarm systems, and other security measures. Figures, maps, and appended tables