Oh, to be Dutch.
In the Netherlands, prostitution and marijuana are legal,
Heineken is the local brew, and Amsterdam is a bike-able international city with a huge selection of fine cheeses.
And now comes the news from the Dutch justice ministry that the crime rate is so low that
it will close eight prisons and cut 1,200 jobs. There are too few prisoners for its prison cells -- 12,000 detainees in a prison system that has capacity for 14,000.
America should have such problems. In California, where I live, federal judges have ordered the California prison system to
reduce overcrowding by as many as 55,000 inmates within three years so the state can provide a constitutional level of medical and mental health care to the remaining prisoners. California has the nation's largest prison system with 150,000 inmates, or more than 12 times that of the Netherlands.
Layoffs should be prevented in the closing of prisons in the Netherlands, and some reprieve may come from a deal with neighboring Belgium to unload some of its overpopulated prisons. About 500 Belgian prisoners could be transferred to the Tilburg prison by 2010.
The deal would give the Netherlands 30 million euros, and allow the closing of the prisons in Rotterdam and Veenhuizen to be postponed until 2012.
Theories abound on
why crime is so low in the Netherlands. The
murder rate, for example, has been declining since the 1990s, when there were an average of 250 murders per year. The rate hit a record low in 2007 with 147. One idea is that decriminalizing drugs leads to less violent crimes, and that a passive approach works best.
I visited Amsterdam about five years ago and unexpectedly arrived during a major soccer tournament that the Dutch team was doing well in.
Dam Square was packed with drunken celebrants, and at least 1,000 people filled the square. I hung out there for about an hour and saw only two police officers.
Somehow, the crowd held it together and I didn't notice any fights or other problems that often happen when people roll kegs of beer into a crowd, as I saw that afternoon.
Oh, to be Dutch, I thought.
Aaron Crowe is an unemployed journalist in the San Francisco Bay Area. Read about his job search at www.AaronCrowe.net
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
5-30-2009 @ 2:30PM
UJIO said...
Aaron, you are a typical leftist socialist gasshole. Living in CA? figures. Your state is bankrupt. Legalize prostituion, drugs, hell; why not make all crime legal. WOW, man...Utopia!!
Take another hit of acid.
Reply
5-30-2009 @ 5:56PM
Dr. Ken Hildebrandt said...
If they outlawed the cruelty of those who expect others to live as they do, you'd be in big trouble, wouldn't you? You wouldn't be able to stand what you impose upon others, liberal hogwash aside. People like you act tough, but you're only tough with other people's lives.
5-30-2009 @ 6:50PM
lol said...
you sir are an idiot, i seriously suggest you research the matter, do you think we want marijuana legal just so we can get high lol no, it would bring massive benefits
again, you sir are an idiot
go and look at the facts and figures of all places that have decrim marijuana
6-03-2009 @ 6:42AM
nik said...
prick
5-30-2009 @ 2:38PM
Richard said...
See that... Legalize prostitution and marijuana... it will be safer because it can be regulated, will ease our tax burden because it can then be taxed and will ease the burden on the criminal justice system allowing our police to go after real criminals.
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5-31-2009 @ 10:33PM
jody said...
Ujio..why are you so upset with aaron? All he did was point out the closing of Dutch prisons....you immediately called him names and dismissed him without offering any alternate opinions of why the Dutch have such a low crime rate...if you are an example of conservative then perhaps I should change my views...I have been to the Netherlands and the lack of crime is amazing.
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5-30-2009 @ 2:47PM
lightfoot said...
If homosexuality is leagal now, then why not prostitution? Some drugs such as pot should be made legal, tax it like everything else. Pot is no more haemful then liqor.
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5-30-2009 @ 4:41PM
B.O stinks said...
I worked in a steel mill for 30 years and was around guys who smoked weed and guys who came in drunk I will always pick the guy who smoked the weed to work with while you ass holes pick the guy who has ten DUI and beats his old lady and kids when he is done being the life of the party and a good ol boy at the bar !
5-30-2009 @ 5:21PM
Horney Botts said...
lightfoot:
You should learn to spell! But you do make a couple interesting points.
5-30-2009 @ 3:16PM
Ken said...
Lets send some of our Bad Guy's over to the Netherlands.
Reply
5-30-2009 @ 3:18PM
Susan said...
Well no wonder their crime rate is so low. Alot of the crimes here in the US are legal over there. Go figure.
http://susan-livinghealthywithchallenges.blogspot.com
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5-30-2009 @ 3:25PM
reidgator said...
What a bunch of intellectual neanderthals. You look at ONE factor and immediatley assume that THAT is the reason for the low crime rate in the Netherlands. (I dare you to deny that is is becasue you WANT it to be true!) WRONG! This situation reminds me of all the elderly who have purses and medicine cabinets full of Rx meds with countless interactive issues. There are many factors at play here. One of which is the low level of "diversity" in their population. Recent studies (from Harvard no less) have shown that as diversity increases, a sense of community and shared activity declines. Another factor is the low propensity for violence to begin with. Note the author's comment about an intoxicated crowd that actually behaved itself. look at how many times In America, a crowd of students have rioted all because their team WON! In America we revel in our WWF and Xtreme fighting. This does not exist in the Netherlands.
NOTE - alcohol is LEGAL and it causes all sorts of problems. Sorry bozos, but until some other factors in our decadent society are fixed or minimized, decriminalizing pot or other drugs will NOT help!!
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5-30-2009 @ 4:27PM
LurkyLu said...
Decriminalizing drugs and prostitution wouldn't cure all our problems but it would make a dramatic difference in our prison/jail population and give the police time for more important things.
It would also take work away from these overpaid lawyers - poor things.
5-31-2009 @ 12:58AM
gmiller said...
You're alittle out of date. Netherlands has a huge number of Muslims, many recent immigantsm from Africa and the Middle East. Their crime problem will be rapidly growing. Racist? No, just facts. Look at France.
5-30-2009 @ 3:28PM
Frank said...
When I visited Amsterdam a decade ago the cops were carrying machine guns
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5-30-2009 @ 3:35PM
Joe D said...
I have argued for years to de criminalize many drugs and to tax it heavly when you did, Here is MY logic. Many of the Gangs are merely drug suppling groups and they enforce their brand thru violence much in the same way as the Mobs did in Prohibition days. Taxing the drugs would limit the access of drugs to Minors. Ask any kid today what is eaier to get Drugs or Booze and they will tell you Booze. Less Gang Violence means less Gang activity and less money to glamorize themselves. Less Gangs less COPS less drug criminal violations less jails. We will never elimate Jails but we could reduce the number and put the real criminals in where the belong. Legalized drugs would also elimate the need to share needles less HIV/AIDS we pick up 90% of the cost of that treatment. Legalized drugs would also control Purity and dosage less Over does as well
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5-30-2009 @ 3:36PM
ME said...
"I ONLY HAVE ONE QUESTION!.
HOW MANY BLACKS AND MEXICANS DO "THEY" HAVE?
"HERE" 22% OF THE POPULATION COMMITT 65% OF CRIME
SO LETS GET RID OF THEM AND REDUCE "OUR" CRIME 65%.
Reply
5-30-2009 @ 4:51PM
SUS7637 said...
YOUR FAR FROM PERFECT OR FROM BEING AN ANGEL, YOU IGNORAMUS ATHIEST! I BET YOU LISTEN TO EVERY BLACK SONG , HAVE EVERY CD, AND ARE A WANNABE! DONT HATE: APPRECIATE/CONGRADULATE HATER!
5-30-2009 @ 3:41PM
Joe D said...
Lightfooot get your head out of yoru fourth point of contact (look it up) People are born Gay, weather they opt to act out on it is a lifestyle choice. It is People are born Black, but they opt to be either Ghetto or Gangsta Street walking is not a genetic condition at birth. Well maybe for your Mom it was !!
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5-30-2009 @ 4:46PM
CB said...
Who the hell are you to be saying people are born gay?!! The hell with that theory! Man and woman. You see two male tigers getting it on in the woods? Gay people make that choice to be gay or straight.