IBB residents feeling unsafe

Recently, the IBB residents’ group chat has been flooded with messages from students feeling unsafe, complaining about nuisances, or warning others. Last week, they even set up a separate group chat specifically for this purpose.

According to Britt and Raf from the housing committee, there has been a clear rise in incidents. But that's not all: the incidents are also becoming more serious. “The atmosphere is becoming more hostile.”

Women are being harassed, windows are being smashed left and right, and burglaries have become more common. A security camera installed by residents captured footage of people trying to force their way through doors. Residents shared this footage on the group chat.

It isn't always clear who the troublemakers and burglars are, but it is certainly not just loitering youths from adjacent neighbourhoods who are making IBB residents feel unsafe. “The scary stories are actually about groups of adult men loitering here, in the complex,” says Britt.

Neighbourhood notice sent
The municipality considers the recent rise in reports reason enough to take action. The police, youth services and the council’s Street Harassment Team have been asked to monitor the situation at IBB, which is home to around 1,300 residents. There will also be more frequent patrols.

In addition, all student homes received a neighbourhood notice urging students to promptly report incidents to the local authority or the police. The student accommodation provider SSH, which owns the student complex, sent a letter to IBB residents emphasising the importance of reporting incidents immediately. “Unfortunately, we have noticed that many incidents are either not reported at all, or only reported much later. Reporting incidents right away helps the police and enforcement officers to take immediate action,” SSH writes. 

The residents’ committee also advises students to report nuisance. According to committee members Britt and Raf, students are already doing so more and more often. Britt: “The threshold for taking action is clearly getting lower. Residents feel that something really needs to be done.”

Photo: DUB / Annemijn Groeneveld

Well-known trouble spot
The two students are pleased that the municipality is paying attention to how unsafe IBB residents feel. However, they point out that this is certainly nothing new. Women feel particularly uneasy when cycling home through the small tunnel between Sterrenwijk and IBB. Many households have made arrangements amongst themselves to ensure that everyone gets home safely at night. This week, the political party JA21 asked in the municipal council why the municipality is only doing something about it now.

According to the police, IBB is "a well-known trouble spot". However, SSH certainly does not wish to endorse such a characterisation. The housing provider acknowledges a recent increase in nuisance, but says it did not receive any direct reports of threats or intimidation from IBB residents before. The municipal council seems to also relate the incidents to the summer, when there are more problems across the city.

In any case, Britt and Raf hope that all this attention will lead to effective measures. They say that the recent events are having a major impact on students' lives in the housing complex. Residents no longer dare to sit outside in certain areas or go out late at night. A few are even considering moving house because of the disturbances.

Raf: “This should be a safe place for everyone, where you can decide without a care in the world to go and have a beer with a friend on the other side of the complex and then stagger back to your room at night. It’s a real shame that we can't do that now.”