Drop in recorded and encountered crime

© ANP
In 2017, fewer Dutch people aged 15 and older indicated they had been victims of common violent and property offences and vandalism than in 2012. The crime victimisation rate declined by 23 percent. Police recorded crime per 1,000 inhabitants declined by 30 percent. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports these results based on the new Safety Monitor and figures on police recorded crime.

Last year, 15 percent of the Dutch population ages 15 and over stated they had been victims of frequently occurring violent and property crimes and vandalism. This was still 20 percent in 2012. The total number of citizens falling victim to such offences decreased in this period from 4.9 million to 3.8 million. The police registered 0.8 million crimes in 2017 against 1.2 million in 2012. According to these figures, the downward trend in registered and encountered crime since 2005 has continued.
The Safety Monitor includes a survey held by CBS among a sample of the Dutch population aged 15 years and over. It contains questions on, for example, violent, property and vandalism offences which people have fallen victim to in the past year, including offences which were not reported to or filed by the police. Registered crimes are crimes which have been reported to or filed by the police as well as incidences documented by the police themselves. These are presented in numbers per thousand inhabitants of all ages.

Drop in violent crime falling behind

In 2017, the police registered 24 percent fewer violent crimes per thousand inhabitants than in 2012. Property crime declined by 30 percent over the same period, as did the total number of registered offences. Levels of crime against public order and damage crime per thousand inhabitants fell by 38 percent. This pattern is also reflected by citizens’ encounters with crime: the number of violent crime incidences experienced by citizens fell less than average, vandalism declined more than average, while the number of property crimes followed the average decline rate.

More buying and selling scams

In 2017, 11 percent of citizens aged 15 and older indicated they had been victims of cybercrime. This represents a decline on 2012, but not on 2016. Compared to 2012, there were more incidences of buying or selling fraud, but fewer cases of hacking or identity fraud. The total number of cybercrimes last year stood at 2.6 million.

Dutch citizen feels less unsafe than in 2012

In 2017, 34 percent of the Dutch population felt unsafe at times. This share is not substantially lower than in the previous year, but it is lower compared to 2012, when 37 percent said they felt unsafe at times. The decline in crime encountered by residents is most significant in city and town centres and in shopping areas. People also felt less unsafe in their own neighbourhoods.