Dutch home burglaries are rising again after a long period of decline. Police registered approximately 10,000 domestic break-ins during the first half of this year. This figure marks an increase from the 9,800 cases recorded during the same period last year.
Before the pandemic, domestic burglaries in the Netherlands fell steadily for nearly a decade. Work-from-home mandates and lockdowns kept residents indoors, which drove break-in rates to historic lows. Aside from a brief spike in 2022 when restrictions ended, the downward trend continued until now. Security analysts believe burglars are now exploiting empty homes as residents return to offices and resume regular travel.
The rise in crime affects regions differently, though more than half of all Dutch provinces recorded an increase in break-ins. North Holland, South Holland, and Drenthe experienced notable upward trends. On a local level, the Gelderland city of Nijmegen saw the sharpest absolute increase. Burglars struck Nijmegen homes 150 times in the first half of this year, compared to 100 times during the same period last year.
In contrast, some regions saw significant improvements. Burglaries in Flevoland dropped by nearly a quarter, largely due to a sharp decline in the city of Almere. Limburg also recorded a drop in registered break-ins.
While the national news agency ANP awaits an official explanation from the police, security experts point to common entry methods. Many burglars use cylinder snapping, a technique where they break weak lock cylinders to gain entry. Thieves also frequently use simple cards to slip open doors that residents closed but did not lock with a key.
To combat this rising trend, crime prevention specialists urge homeowners to install locks with a three-star rating from the Foundation for Construction Quality (SKG). They also recommend using smart doorbells, motion-activated outdoor lights, and indoor light timers to make homes look occupied. Finally, authorities advise against posting holiday plans on public social media accounts, which can alert thieves to empty properties.
@ anp | NEWS BRAINPORT
