In tackling the Moroccan youth problem, the police are still too often looking for a short-term policy with an emphasis on repression and too little attention is paid to the possibilities that local residents can offer. That is the conclusion of Eric Bervoets, researcher at the Police Academy, who will be awarded his PhD on 28 September 2006 at the University of Twente's Faculty of Business, Policy and Technology.
Only enforcement will temporarily restore peace, but the tensions have not been removed and often lead to a rift between the police and the neighbourhood, Bervoets notes. The PhD student investigated how the police in Gouda, Utrecht and Amsterdam have dealt with Moroccan young people in recent years.
Bervoets has spoken extensively with residents, police officers, other professionals, local politicians and with young people themselves. According to him, the police should always keep in mind that it is precisely in vulnerable neighborhoods that some residents also have an interest in taking action against youth nuisance. These residents are therefore inclined to enter into a coalition with the police and the local authorities; the Moroccan neighborhood fathers and residents' platforms are examples of this. In both enforcement and prevention, the police depend on the contribution of others – information, knowledge, trust and active support – and therefore does not benefit from a gap with its environment and these residents.
Bervoets argues in favor of a neighborhood police that acts towards problem youngsters as a strict but fair family man:consistent, predictable and setting clear boundaries about what is permissible. Young people demand that clarity. With one enforcement and the other acting 'soft' again, the police send out a confusing signal.
According to the researcher, with regard to the Moroccan youth problem, the police all too easily lose sight of how dependent they are on the help of 'security partners' and local residents. The ruined living pleasure, the poor neighborhood reputation and (among Moroccans) the damaged population image are reasons for some of the residents to take action themselves and to support the police and local authorities. In exchange for the opportunity to put their problems on the agenda, these residents offer support and ensure that the police and local authorities are kept well informed about developments in the neighbourhood. Given her need for help, it would be a missed opportunity if the police – but also the local government – did not address this outstretched hand, says the PhD student from Twente.