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Don't you read the news? There have recently been articles in the international press that Amsterdam is a jungle right now: > Official ombudsman, Arre Zuurmond

by 21 8y ago

Don't you read the news? There have recently been articles in the international press that Amsterdam is a jungle right now: > Official ombudsman, Arre Zuurmond told Dutch paper Trouw that "the city centre becomes an urban jungle at night". He added: "Criminal money flourishes, there is no authority and the police can no longer handle the situation." https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/amsterdam-tourists-warned-city-no-13000278 https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/amsterdam-tourists-...

justin66 8y ago
That is a British tabloid.
- 21 8y ago
  Here, have a Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/04/amsterdam-british-tourists-overwhelmed-bad-behaviour https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/04/amsterdam-brit...
- PuffinBlue 8y ago
  A most damning indictment indeed.
  - stevesimmons 8y ago
    No it is not. I was in Amsterdam last weekend, at the party mentioned at the very end of the article. Thousands of people packed into the square on a Friday evening having fun. Minimal police and security guards present. On the Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people visited Amsterdam to watch the Canal Pride on the Prinsengracht. The police reported minimal disturbances, and arrested a grand total of 25 people, 17 of which were for pickpocketing [1]. That is a substantial reduction on prior years. [1] https://www.politie.nl/nieuws/2018/augustus/6/05-zakkenrollers-minder-actief.html https://www.politie.nl/nieuws/2018/augustus/6/05-zakkenrolle...
    - PuffinBlue 8y ago
      You miss the implication of the comment I was replying too. The comment I was replying too was able to dismiss the legitimacy of the offending 'news' article with a simple observation. I was commenting on the efficacy of such pity denigration, not the quality of Amsterdam's nightlife.
  - ashildr 8y ago
    That’s how you sell newspapers and clicks. Im in Amsterdam quite often, it just a short drive from where I live in Germany, and it’s a safe and fun place to be, if you take into account that it’s very touristy. I’ve been watching the canal pride from a park this year and was amazed that people even actually cleaned up their mess. Very unlike than at home, unfortunately.
stevesimmons 8y ago
This article and the other one quoted from the Guardian are cherrypicking quotes to make it sound far more dramatic than it really is. Total crime numbers in Amsterdam are down substantially on prior years (https://www.ois.amsterdam.nl/popup/1663 https://www.ois.amsterdam.nl/popup/1663). The number of Dutch prisoners have halved over the last 10 years. Dutch prisons are now so empty the space is being rented out to other countries (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-37904263 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-37904263). At the same time, the number of tourists to Amsterdam has increased 60% over the last 10 years. It is not surprising the numbers are sometimes difficult to manage. But, speaking as someone who since 2000 has lived in Amsterdam or visited at least monthly, I have never felt safer in the city.
thijsc 8y ago
The quote is specifically about a few areas like the red light district that see so many drunk and/or high tourists that the situation gets too unwieldy. Quite a specific situation that's not saying too much about the general crime level. It's rich that a British paper publishes an alarming story on this since British tourists are a huge part of these crowds.

by 21 8y ago

justin66 8y ago

That is a British tabloid.

21 8y ago
Here, have a Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/04/amsterdam-british-tourists-overwhelmed-bad-behaviour https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/04/amsterdam-brit...
PuffinBlue 8y ago
A most damning indictment indeed.
- stevesimmons 8y ago
  No it is not. I was in Amsterdam last weekend, at the party mentioned at the very end of the article. Thousands of people packed into the square on a Friday evening having fun. Minimal police and security guards present. On the Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people visited Amsterdam to watch the Canal Pride on the Prinsengracht. The police reported minimal disturbances, and arrested a grand total of 25 people, 17 of which were for pickpocketing [1]. That is a substantial reduction on prior years. [1] https://www.politie.nl/nieuws/2018/augustus/6/05-zakkenrollers-minder-actief.html https://www.politie.nl/nieuws/2018/augustus/6/05-zakkenrolle...
  - PuffinBlue 8y ago
    You miss the implication of the comment I was replying too. The comment I was replying too was able to dismiss the legitimacy of the offending 'news' article with a simple observation. I was commenting on the efficacy of such pity denigration, not the quality of Amsterdam's nightlife.
- ashildr 8y ago
  That’s how you sell newspapers and clicks. Im in Amsterdam quite often, it just a short drive from where I live in Germany, and it’s a safe and fun place to be, if you take into account that it’s very touristy. I’ve been watching the canal pride from a park this year and was amazed that people even actually cleaned up their mess. Very unlike than at home, unfortunately.

stevesimmons 8y ago

This article and the other one quoted from the Guardian are cherrypicking quotes to make it sound far more dramatic than it really is. Total crime numbers in Amsterdam are down substantially on prior years (https://www.ois.amsterdam.nl/popup/1663 https://www.ois.amsterdam.nl/popup/1663). The number of Dutch prisoners have halved over the last 10 years. Dutch prisons are now so empty the space is being rented out to other countries (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-37904263 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-37904263). At the same time, the number of tourists to Amsterdam has increased 60% over the last 10 years. It is not surprising the numbers are sometimes difficult to manage. But, speaking as someone who since 2000 has lived in Amsterdam or visited at least monthly, I have never felt safer in the city.

thijsc 8y ago

The quote is specifically about a few areas like the red light district that see so many drunk and/or high tourists that the situation gets too unwieldy. Quite a specific situation that's not saying too much about the general crime level. It's rich that a British paper publishes an alarming story on this since British tourists are a huge part of these crowds.