Mayors strengthen cooperation of ACT! Intervention Team Parkstad

The covenant contains agreements between municipalities that ensure that the ACT! Intervention Team Parkstad can continue on its current path until at least January 1, 2027. This is made possible in part by contributions from the municipalities, the RIEC Limburg and the Regio Deal Parkstad Limburg II. The team consists of a permanent core team of five people and is supplemented by boas and supervisors from the seven municipalities. Inspections often take place at locations where there is an increased risk of the presence of undermining crime or a concrete suspicion of wrongdoing. The team takes action partly as a result of anonymous reports by residents to Report Crime Anonymously. If it appears during an administrative control that criminal violations are taking place, the case is transferred and the police start their own investigation.
 

Undermining crime manifests itself in numerous forms and creates complex problems, for example in the outlying area and among vulnerable groups. For an effective approach, good cooperation is crucial. To combat undermining crime, the ACT! Intervention Team Parkstad was launched in 2024.

Established in 2024, the ACT! Intervention Team Parkstad conducts regular administrative checks to disrupt criminal networks and keep our society livable and safe. They can take action on issues such as drug crime, prostitution, ghost housing and labor exploitation.

Mayors Roel Wever of the Municipality of Heerlen and Eric Geurts of the Municipality of Beekdaelen are responsible for the security (undermining) program and see that they are increasingly successful in making a fist against organized crime. 

Mayor Wever: "The powers of the police and those of mayors complement each other well. The ACT! Intervention Team forms a link between municipalities among themselves and between municipalities and police within Parkstad. We can therefore tackle abuses faster and more adequately. The supervisors of the ACT! intervention team operate throughout Parkstad."

Within Parkstad we have spent the last few years looking for a good form of cooperation with government partners such as the police, customs, labor inspection and tax authorities. Mayor Geurts: "Cooperation sounds very easy, but in practice you run into all kinds of issues. By making good agreements, having short lines and learning from each other, we now have a powerful intervention team. We can be proud of that."

Hear, see, report!

When criminals carry out their illegal acts by taking advantage of the upper world, it often goes unnoticed by the environment. After all, as a resident or business owner, do you know what suspicious signs are, allowing criminals to go about their business? By cleverly exploiting ignorant individuals, or convincingly pretending that everything is just fine, criminals ensure that you unintentionally contribute to illegal activities. Want to learn more about the dangers and how you can contribute to a safe Park City? The website of hear, see and report has lots of information about undermining crime and what to look out for: www.horenzienmeldenlimburg.nl.

Ensuring livable neighborhood together

Should residents and entrepreneurs suspect that something is not right, they can report this to the police (emergency 112, otherwise 0900-8844) or to the municipality. You can also report anonymously to Report Crime Anonymously via 0800-7000 or online via www.meldmisdaadanoniem.nl. 

Residents and business owners can also report to the municipality a neglected vacant property that is affecting livability. In this way, together we ensure a better and safer living, working and living environment.