Most crime occurs close to home

Half of all criminal offences occur in the victim’s own neighbourhood or district. Another quarter take place elsewhere in the same municipality and just over one in five elsewhere in the Netherlands. Criminal offences occurring outside the Netherlands affected only a small proportion of Dutch victims.

Location of offence in relation to victim’s place of residence, 2000

Close to home

Burglaries nearly all take place in victim’s present home. Vandalism, too, usually takes place in the neighbourhood where the victim lives. In 2000 this was the case for three out of five car vandalism cases and even three out four other vandalism cases. More than half of cases concerning theft from cars and other larceny were recorded in the victim’s own neighbourhood in 2000.

Crimes that most often take place in the victim’s own neighbourhood, 2000

Elsewhere in the municipality

Three out of ten offences involving violence occur elsewhere in the victim’s own municipality. This is about the same percentage as in the own neighbourhood. One in three sexual offences took place elsewhere in the municipality where the victim lived in 2000.

Four out of every ten stolen bikes are taken in the victim’s own neighbourhood, another four in ten elsewhere in the same municipality. Just as many drivers fail to stop after an accident in the municipality where the victim lives as in the victim’s own neighbourhood or district.

Crimes that most often take place outside the victim’s own neighbourhood, 2000

Elsewhere in the Netherlands

Violent offences also often occur outside the municipality where the victim lives. In 2000 one third of violent offences occurred elsewhere in the Netherlands. More than three in ten cases of pickpocketing were recorded elsewhere in the Netherlands.

Abroad

Victims of pickpockets were also relatively often robbed abroad. Just over one in six cases of pickpocketing took place outside the country in 2000. Sexual offences, too, relatively often occur abroad (just over one in eight), the same applies for other larceny ( on in twelve cases).

Harry Huys