EUKN - Netherlands - Hoog Catharijne as an example for safe entrepreneurship

Hoog Catharijne as an example for safe entrepreneurship

Introduction

The nuisance in the Hoog Catharijne shopping centre in Utrecht has decreased sharply and the number of offences has declined due to collaboration on safety policy among the different interest groups.

Problem

How can measures be designed jointly by public and private parties to ensure that the risks to the physical and social safety of employees, passers-by and commuters in the station area are diminished?

Description

Since the construction of Hoog Catharijne in the railway station area, there has been a concomitant problem with regard to the management of drug addicts/homeless people and their care. Denial of the problems in combination with territorial discussions between private and public owners and managers led to only partial solutions. Increasing complaints, caused by drugs problems and the general deterioration of the area, led to action by the city. At the end of 2000, the decision was taken to set up three crisis centres was taken.

Approach

Berenschot consultancy fulfilled a role as a support and expert in the direction of the project, whereby the involved parties had to carry out a lot of the work themselves. The phased plan from the Safety Effects Report developed earlier by Berenschot on the instructions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (BZK), was used as a work agenda. Previously, a declaration of intent was entered into in which the various parties established their joint aims. Thereafter, the problem was further defined in a commencement memorandum and all risks were detailed in a safety scan. Subsequently, alternatives were stated and after consideration, the actual measures were defined. Finally, they were implemented.

Results

The sense of security has risen by 27% to 64%, theft has decreased by 52% and violence by 28%, the number of offences by repeat offenders has fallen by 65%, the number of homeless and drug addicts has been sharply reduced due to alternative crisis facilities and the public rated Hoog Catharijne with an 8 (out of 10) in relation to the aspects"‘clean, intact and safe".
The safety project has led to collaboration between various interest groups in Hoog Catharijne. The collaboration formed the basis for the redevelopment of part of Hoog Catharijne, Gildenkwartier.
The phased plan has led to an overview of the measures to be taken and an organisational structure in which it is described who is responsible for them, such that the execution of the activities also remains assured in the longer term.

Contact info

Berenschot Consultancy
Mr J. H. Leopold, tel. +31 30 2916916

Project start date

11/01/2006

Links

Centrum voor Criminaliteitspreventie en Veiligheid (in Dutch)Berenschot Consultancy

Veilig ondernemen: Hoe doe je dat en wat levert het op? (PDF, Dut, 265 KB)

Document type

case

Themes

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration > Quality of life

Keywords

Social services