NCJ Number
150573
Date Published
1992
Length
45 pages
Annotation
This statistical study surveyed the victimization of tourists in major Dutch tourist centers and that of commuters in two large cities in the Netherlands.
Abstract
Tourists were approached at Zandvoort and Valkenburg aan de Geul, tourist centers which are regularly associated with criminality. Commuters were also screened at The Hague and Amsterdam, both at random in the streets and at their workplaces. Both sample populations responded to initial screening conversations and later telephone interviews. The responses of 312 tourists indicate that they considered Zandvoort and Valkenburg relatively safe and that they had experienced little victimization. However, this survey was very limited with respect to the time period covered and the number of respondents. In addition, the tourists found it difficult to evaluate police performance and police priorities. A national tourist inquiry in 1991, on the other hand, revealed a victimization rate of 13 percent. The responses of 305 commuters indicated that they felt very certain about police performance and priorities. Both in Amsterdam and The Hague, about one-third of the commuters had become crime victims within a year. Objects stolen from cars and bicycle thefts were the most common crimes and, according to the respondents, should receive police priority. Statistical charts, graphs, and 24 references