Safety in the Netherlands

THE savest country in the world if you stay outside Amsterdam
The Haque is best city to be in Netherlands also according to the locals

I lived  all over Europe, also for a while in Napoli, south of Italy, some of the worst places in Northern England, Ireland France, Germany, Spain , Marocco. Never had any problems as long as you don't walk around with cameras and jewellery around your neck and your money in full sight. Except in Holland. The Dutch are the most thieving people in West Europe. Not just business wise but in action. This got worse in the last 6 years.  My husband got attacked carrying 2 bags of supermarket shopping home. Of course it was a foreigner who saw it and came to his defence. It was still broad daylight, my partner is tall and very skinny, so the thief may have thought he'd have an easy catch, but we are all combat trained so by the time somebody came to help, the thief was fleeing without any goods.
My friend got hit just for a handbag, don't bother buying a nice new bike because no matter how well you attach it, it will be lifted. My daughter got pushed trying to get her wallet and  even so I am in a wheelchair they truly tried to rob a computer bag where I never keep my computer in. These incidents all happened around Amsterdam,The Gooi ,and Utrecht, Oh and in Assen....
So all I can say, beware, its not even as they would try to trick you, they prefer sheer force.

Heym wrote:

I lived  all over Europe, also for a while in Napoli, south of Italy, some of the worst places in Northern England, Ireland France, Germany, Spain , Marocco. Never had any problems as long as you don't walk around with cameras and jewellery around your neck and your money in full sight. Except in Holland. The Dutch are the most thieving people in West Europe. Not just business wise but in action. This got worse in the last 6 years.  My husband got attacked carrying 2 bags of supermarket shopping home. Of course it was a foreigner who saw it and came to his defence. It was still broad daylight, my partner is tall and very skinny, so the thief may have thought he'd have an easy catch, but we are all combat trained so by the time somebody came to help, the thief was fleeing without any goods.
My friend got hit just for a handbag, don't bother buying a nice new bike because no matter how well you attach it, it will be lifted. My daughter got pushed trying to get her wallet and  even so I am in a wheelchair they truly tried to rob a computer bag where I never keep my computer in. These incidents all happened around Amsterdam,The Gooi ,and Utrecht, Oh and in Assen....
So all I can say, beware, its not even as they would try to trick you, they prefer sheer force.

Bull what you are talking this kind of thinks never happen in Netherlands only pick pockers in crowde places in Amsterdam and the people who are doing this are not locals but scam from Eastern Europe who came to Western Europe.
I would like to see proof of police report about what you are mentioning, because it's total nonsense.
If something ever would happen like this in our small country it will be in all newspapers and TV news right away!

I'm sorry that you have experienced these crimes but like the previous poster say,  it's most to count on the foreigners who came to the Netherlands in the hope to get a better life.  I will not pointed out which nationalities are responsible but you can figure out what I mean.

The Netherlands is safe, you can travel around,  no matter if you are alone or in a group.
Just use your common sense. There are no conflicts or forbidden areas. No matter where you are,  there will be always bad people who doing bad things.

I just recently came from Netherlands I stayed at Amsterdam  for more than 5 weeks I was alone traveling day and night to all palaces and some time I used to go back to hotel   12:00 night time but never found any trouble with any one all nertehrland  and local people very kind and gentle   i love Amsterdam ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I have been to Netherlands in and out for the past 3 years, no treat what so ever. only problem is that it seems extremely difficult to make new friends, am i missing something? anyway every country has its problems, and experiences vary from person to person bases, i will  however not conclude the Dutch are bad people nor thieves, however i will do my best to scare the few that judge me.

You gladly can see eye witness reports. A few years ago I would have said the same as you do. But I guess it is harder to make a living and a lot of people are quiet disillusioned. Sad but true. The only way to keep places safe is to be outside, know your neighbours and, let the children play outside. Sit and watch in your "buurt". Do things together in the community. 

Heym wrote:

You gladly can see eye witness reports. A few years ago I would have said the same as you do. But I guess it is harder to make a living and a lot of people are quiet disillusioned. Sad but true. The only way to keep places safe is to be outside, know your neighbours and, let the children play outside. Sit and watch in your "buurt". Do things together in the community. 

Again as I said and others, this where no Dutch citizens who where born in the Netherlands, do you know how manny foreigners are coming every year to big cities in our country to rob tourist?
And I tell you why, because the Dutch law system give very low prison sentence.
So they laugh at our sentences, and people in prison have it even better then people in old man homes.
In prison they can shower every day, walk in the garden have private room for them self, have cable TV etc etc they see it as a free hotel with 3 meals a day!

Safety in The Netherlands is quite good as the use of CCTV, the high number of public transport security (The Hague area), and police  patrols are great in the VIP's and expat areas.

This does not mean you're able to let your guard down, but compared to London, I give The Hague a big thumbs up.
But I also see things from another perspective as I am a keen practitioner of Martial Arts and also ex army.

There is still quite a lot of crime here, but I choose not to stay in many of the areas which is basically unsafe at night for expats.  I also run a number of self-defence and fitness training classes for expats in The Hague.
But if the question was regarding Health and Safety then we would have a much bigger topic. 

@maetinfrederick

1) all areas are safe in The Hague and a night you can walk in every area this is not NEW York with areas like the Bronx so don't spread any dirt around please

2) this is not a marketing site for your Martial art program

I live in nieuw-venepp, and been around noord and zuid holland to search for new home, and nieuw-vennep is the best place that's my conclusion. DH or AMS centrum it's pretty much the same, total mess, not for me, of course it's just my opinion.

Never seen anything fishy here, pretty calm place to live, few houses available to rent, most are to buy, i walk at night and bike at midnight and it's all peaceful.