Petty criminals should have to complete their community service sentences in the area where they committed their crimes, the new head of the public prosecution service says in Friday’s Telegraaf.

It is essential that the likes of bike thieves and vandals pay for their crimes within a few days of being caught and are ‘visible’ to others, Herman Bolhaar told the paper.
‘Punishments will be speeded up, victims will be able to make damages claims more quickly and graffiti can be cleaned off a wall,’ he said.
The ‘as quickly as possible’ approach, given the abbreviation ZSM (zo snel mogelijk), is already being tried out in the big cities. The system means experienced public prosecutors can deal with straightforward cases where community service of up to 180 hours is applicable, the paper says.