The armed robberies at no less than six Dutch-side supermarkets last week plus one more on Sunday are indeed a point of concern (see Monday paper). After all, practically everybody has reason to visit a food store at one point or another and the thought of possibly being there during a similar assault is not exactly a reassuring one.
But especially for storekeepers it must be frustrating, because there is little they can do to defend themselves. Many are unable to afford fulltime security in the business, while legally obtaining a firearm is far from easy these days.
In addition, recent events again show that having a gun as protection without a valid permit could land one in serious trouble and is certainly not recommendable. But even the use of licensed weapons entails risks in terms of further aggravating the situation or even ending up in jail if the violence used against the suspect is deemed to have been disproportionate.
The best bet is therefore to leave law enforcement to the competent local authorities, even though they usually don't arrive at the scene of the incident until afterward. Still, it remains important to cooperate with the investigation, if nothing else to prevent a repeat or in any case others from falling victim.
The police rightfully observed that as a rule there are plenty of witnesses to these robberies, but few make the effort to assist them with what they know and/or have seen. This should change, because the war on crime is being fought on behalf of the whole community.
People ought to keep in mind that they or their loved ones could be next, whether as direct targets or just by being "in the wrong place at the wrong time." Moreover, the delinquents involved are a real threat to the tourism economy that provides the livelihood of practically the entire population, so helping to track them down is most definitely in the general interest.
The reality is that these criminals, regardless whether they may be family, relatives, friends or acquaintances, must be considered public enemies and treated as such.
