Citizennet and neighborhood prevention

Burgernet

Burgernet is a unique collaboration between citizens, municipality and police to increase safety in the living and working environment.

Participants in the neighborhood receive a voice or text message from the police asking them to look out for a person or vehicle. As soon as participants see the person or vehicle that matches the description, they call the police control room dispatcher directly via the toll-free Burgernet number 0800-0011. Burgernet is only used in urgent cases where a clear description is available. For example: theft, burglary, driving on after a collision, robbery or a missing person. In addition to voice or text messages, participants also have the option of receiving e-mails and newsletters about safety in the area.

Any resident aged 16 or older of a participating municipality can sign up for Burgernet at www.burgernet.nl. You can also participate from your work address.

WhatsApp Neighborhood Prevention

A WhatsApp Neighborhood Prevention Group in your neighborhood. Across the Netherlands, more and more residents are using a WhatsApp group to make their neighborhood or district safer. Several groups are already active in Wassenaar as well. With the group chat function of WhatsApp, local residents can alert each other to things going on in the neighborhood. They can keep an eye out together and report suspicious situations to the police more quickly. The municipality and the police applaud the initiative of a WhatsApp group because local residents are extra eyes and ears in the neighborhood.

What is a WhatsApp group?

WhatsApp is an application you can download on your smartphone. In WhatsApp, the group chat feature allows you to send multiple people a message at the same time when you create or join a WhatsApp group.

Recruitment and promotional materials

The municipality is happy to support you in recruiting participants, for example with a recruitment flyer. Please contact the municipality for this via 'make a report' .

You can request special WhatsApp stickers for window/door/letterbox via email. You can distribute these to the participants of your group. This way you collectively show that your neighborhood is alert to suspicious situations. In addition, the municipality will see if a (traffic) sign can be used to draw attention to WhatsApp neighborhood prevention in your neighborhood.