[Nicky91]

Amsterdam is a 'lawless jungle' at night according to official city ombudsman
Arre Zuurmond blames tourists from UK and other parts of the Netherlands
Street racing, drug dealing and illegal taxis are all said to be rife in the city
Mr Zuurmond said police were powerless and 'cannot handle the situation'

Amsterdam turns into a 'lawless jungle' after dark with the police powerless to intervene against crime and violence, the city's ombudsman has warned.

Around 18 million tourists visit each year - more than the population of the Netherlands - and authorities have been introducing strict penalties for 'public disturbances'.

They claim groups of 'unruly' young men 'frequently from the UK and other parts of the Netherlands' are causing trouble during stag parties and pub crawls, particularly in the Red Light district.

Official ombudsman Arre Zuurmond told Dutch paper Trouw problems have increased including illegal car and bike racing and open drug trading.

He said: 'The city centre becomes an urban jungle at night. Criminal money flourishes, there is no authority and the police can no longer handle the situation.

Mr Zuurmond said authorities set up three cameras in the busy Leidseplein square ringed by bars and clubs to monitor problems and were shocked at the results.

He said: 'One night we counted 900 offences, mainly between the hours of 2am and 4am. The atmosphere is grim, and there is an air of lawlessness.

'Scooters race through the pedestrian areas. There is a lot of shouting. Drugs are being bought. There is stealing. People pee and even poop on the streets.

'There is violence but no action. You can even pee on the van of a mobile (police) unit and the driver won't say anything.'

Mr Zuurmond, who has moved into the heart of the city for two weeks this summer to observe the problem first hand, also said 2,000 illegal taxis are roaming the streets at nights for fares and a flourishing black market with racketeers dealing in wads of cash.

In the Red Light district 'the streets are so packed in the evenings that there is a very unsafe public situation in the event of a fire or a heart attack as emergency services cannot get through,' he added.

He pointed to measures to clean up the New York underground 20 years ago, by focusing on one station at a time.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...powerless.html