Emergency services ready for New Year

Thursday 31 December 2009

Police and emergency service workers are readying themselves for Thursday night's New Year festivities, in an effort to reduce the traditional rioting, car-burning and firework injuries in many parts of the country.

Super fast-track court hearings, airborne surveillance cameras and extra checks on drink drivers are among the measures in use this year. Extra police will be on duty in Rotterdam and Utrecht but not in Amsterdam, which usually escapes much of the trouble.

In Utrecht, people arrested last year have been sent a letter warning that they are under extra surveillance this year. 'They are being told to keep their hands off emergency workers. And if they do cause trouble, they will be suitably punished,' a council spokesman told Trouw.

Arrests

Last year over 800 people were arrested during the festivities, over 100 cars were set alight, 7,641 incidents involving fireworks were reported and emergency service workers were attacked in 20 different towns and villages.

'The key lies with the villagers themselves,' Fons Naterop, mayor of the town of Veen told Trouw. Veen is considered a New Year hotspot for car arson and defence ministry airborne surveillance apparatus will be used to monitor troublemakers.

'Most of the residents are fed up with the negative publicity, and that percentage is growing. But there is still a hard core which does not enjoy the community bonfire we organise and wants to start its own,' the mayor said.

In Rotterdam, the traditional fireworks display and party on the Erasmus bridge will go ahead as planned and 1,100 police will be on duty. In Amsterdam, the New Year festival takes place on the Museumplein.

© DutchNews.nl

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