The municipality of Zaanstad immediately prohibits the carrying of dangerous objects such as knives and percussion weapons. In case of violation, the weapon will be confiscated and a fine of 2,500 euros will follow, as was announced Friday.
“Weapons and violence must leave our municipality,” said Mayor Jan Hamming. He wants to be able to act with the ban if someone has dangerous objects with him that do not fall under the Weapons and Ammunition Act, such as knives.
Hamming says that in recent years “there have been too many incidents of violence with sometimes tragic consequences”. Possession and use of weapons is a major problem in Zaanstad.
In 2017, 138 incidents involving a weapon were registered that required the police to intervene. In 2019 this already increased to 171. This year, despite the corona crisis, there have already been 142 incidents, spread across the entire municipality. Two cases where these types of permitted knives were used have resulted in deaths in recent years.
Inhabitants are not actively approached
The municipality emphasizes that residents are not actively approached with the question whether they are carrying dangerous objects. This is only possible in two safety risk areas in Zaanstad. These are the center and the Poelenburg district.
“As soon as public order or safety is or may be endangered, action can be taken”, says the municipality, which also says that, for example, a carpenter with tools is not covered by the ban.
Mayor Hamming is still in talks with Ministers Sander Dekker (Legal Protection) and Ferd Grapperhaus (Justice and Security) to restrict the sale of knives to minors. Several stores decided to stop doing this voluntarily earlier.
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