Last year, 24,986 reports of suspicious cases were received at the Report Crime Anonymous tip line, which led to at least 3,318 arrests. The number of tips was slightly less (3 percent) than a year earlier.
Many tips were received, especially about drug and violent crimes. But the number of reports about hemp plantations fell by 11 percent. The number of reported violent crimes increased by 28 percent.
Last year, the tips led to the seizure of more than 538,000 hemp plants, 530 firearms and 479 punching and stabbing weapons.
In case you know the culprit
In 2020, 25,818 tips were received and that was an absolute record. “That had to do with the corona crisis at the time,” says Marc Janssen of Meld Misdaad Anonymous. People were more often at home then, which meant they were more likely to notice suspicious things in their immediate environment. “We thought it would be less last year, but that turns out not to be the case.”
Report Crime Anonymous can help people who do not dare to go to the police with their tip. “For some people, that step is a big step,” says Janssen. “For example, if you know the perpetrator and are afraid to get your name in the police file. We are a safety net for those people.”
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