Google translated from Dutch
ROOSENDAAL – It is prohibited in Roosendaal to wear clothing from motorcycle clubs prohibited by the court in public. In addition, stricter action will be taken against the trade in and use of laughing gas and neighborhood shopping centers and Designer Outlet Roosendaal will be banned for beggars.
These are the most important changes that the municipality of Roosendaal – in consultation with the police – wants to implement in the General Local Regulation (APV), a collection of rules that everyone in Roosendaal has to adhere to. According to mayor Han van Midden, these changes are necessary in the fight against subversive crime, among other things.
Ban on clothing 1% motorcycle clubs
With this new rule, the police can now act directly against people who wear clothing from prohibited motorcycle clubs
One of the most notable changes is the ban on the public wearing of clothing belonging to banned 1% motorcycle clubs called Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMGs). This applies to events, but also in public areas and in public spaces. Motorcycle clubs banned in the Netherlands include No Surrender, Hell’s Angels, Satudarah and Caloh Wagoh.
Roosendaal thus follows – on the advice of the VNG and the police unit Zeeland-West-Brabant – the example of other municipalities in the Netherlands. The ‘National Strategic Consultation Integral Approach OMGs’ is a strong supporter of this, because it means that from now on the police can take immediate action against people who wear those clothes.
Stricter approach nitrous oxide
In addition, Roosendaal will take a stricter approach to the sale and use of laughing gas on the street. A national process is already underway to get nitrous oxide banned by making it fall under the Opium Act, but that is taking longer than expected. The outgoing cabinet wants to leave that decision to a new cabinet, it is expected that this will not be arranged before the spring of 2022.
The VNG therefore advises municipalities to get ahead of the game and take action themselves. Roosendaal is doing this by now giving enforcers the space to take action against nitrous oxide use, ‘if it can be shown that this leads to nuisance’. In addition, Van Midden immediately points out sixteen places in the city where use is prohibited at all times.
This mainly concerns public parking lots, popular places where nitrous oxide cartridges are regularly found. These locations include the car parks at the Evelindeflat, at the Bloemschevaert care center on Covelijndijk, at the baseball fields at Nispenseweg, at Voltastraat and Permekeplein. Shopping centers Tolbergcentrum, Lindenburg and the Rembrandt gallery also fall under this new ban.
Beggars no longer welcome at shopping centers
In addition, the municipality of Roosendaal is further restricting begging in the city. It is already the case that it is forbidden for beggars to stay in the center, but police and enforcers notice that these people are now moving to other areas. That is why the number of locations where begging is no longer allowed is being expanded. This concerns Designer Outlet Roosendaal and shopping centers in the neighbourhoods.
If it is up to the municipality of Roosendaal, beggars are no longer welcome at the Rembrandt Gallery, Tolbergcentrum, Dijkcentrum, Lindenburg and the shopping areas at President Kennedylaan and Philipslaan in Kalsdonk. In Wouw it is forbidden to beg at the shops on Omgang and Kloosterstraat.
The Roosendaal city council still has to give its approval for those plans. The council will consider this this month.
