How can residents and the various public services communicate better on the use and upkeep of squares in the city?
Roughly a third of all recorded crime is youth crime. Moroccan youths continue to be the most strongly represented in police statistics, but Antillean youths are also strongly represented. Turkish and Surinamese young people also account for a substantial proportion of youth crime. The programme is working on a problem-oriented, offender-oriented and district-oriented approach.

The programme is working on a problem-oriented, offender-oriented and district-oriented approach. Particular attention is paid to tackling gangs, prolific offenders and those progressing to more serious kinds of crime. Much youth crime is carried out by gangs and moving in criminal circles is a major risk factor in the inception of a career in crime.
The parts of The Hague that require most attention in this respect are the city centre (Schilderswijk and Transvaal), Laak and Escamp.
The instrument being used to tackle young gangs is the Square Approach (Pleinaanpak). Squares are important central locations in the district. Pleasant squares are good for the quality of life and general atmosphere in the district. Since 2002 the Square Approach has evolved into a district-oriented chain-of-events approach, under which the various organisations focus on prevention, suppression and cure. Important components of the Square Approach are monitoring and control of the causal chain, district-oriented case study and early warning meetings, individual path supervision (assistance, training, work) and leisure activities.

Phase one:
• Creation of electronic logbook
• Logbook made available to relevant professionals
• Once a week, square manager enters all paper records in the digital logbook
• He/she also adds news and reports of meetings, plus notices of planned events
• Actions arising out of the records are mailed to the relevant persons
• At the end of 2003 the project will be evaluated and a decision taken on whether the pilot should be extended
• In the event of positive evaluation the logbook will be made available to the public

Phase two:
• Roll-out of project to other parts of the city commences
• Applications modified for purpose of roll-out

Results
There is now a medium by which square managers can keep in touch with and exchange information with those involved in the management of and quality of life in squares in the Schilderswijk.
• The project is working well and is well received.
• Squares are perceived as cleaner and more attention is being paid to issues of public order and personal safety.
• Collaboration between parties has been improved.
• The quality of life and standard of law and order enforcement in the squares of the Schilderswijk are expected to improve.
• Residents' engagement and sense of responsibility for what happens in their district are expected to improve.

All squares receive extra attention from the city's district management department. This includes:
• cleaning;
• maintaining playground equipment and green areas, reporting damage and ensuring that repairs are carried out swiftly;
• intensive surveillance: visible presence, preventing pollution and other nuisances, ensuring that residents of all squares can speak to District Management staff, holding young people responsible for their actions, reporting any problems to the police.
Following evaluation of the project it was found that certain applications required modification to enable roll-out over the rest of the city to begin. Modification of applications caused a degree of project overrun.

Total cost, including setting up the pilot site, is estimated at approx. EUR 18,000
Contribution Digital Breeding Ground The Hague: EUR 9,500
Contribution City of The Hague/ICT in de Stad: EUR 9,100

Schilderswijk District Management Office - City of The Hague
The Hague
The Netherlands
Phone: 0031703881980
http://www.thehague.nl/default.asp?id=DOORWAY
• M. Benabbou (Project leader, Logboek Pleinen (squares logbook)), tel. 0031703535435

ICT in de Stad
The Hague
The Netherlands
C. Kwant (Programme manager), tel. 0031703532722

Governance/Personnel, Organisation and Information department
The Hague
The Netherlands
Phone: 0031703532762

15/05/2002

15/06/2004

case

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration > Quality of life

Social services