THEFT AND POLICE REACTION

I recently had my car broken into for the second time in a month at the RAI exhibition centre in Amsterdam. While this was annoying, I regarded it as part of life these days and having wasted three hours filling in forms, going to the police, getting the glass replaced, etc, I was simply happy to be home. However, an email I received today makes me wonder if I should be more upset.

The Amsterdam police say that theft from overseas-registered cars is now so common at the RAI that they no longer investigate the crime and simply issue a reference number for the insurance companies. Are you aware of police who see so much crime directed at foreigners that they simply ignore it?

REPLIES

That sounds like the reaction you get from the UK police when you report any crime. There is a total lack of interest. After an internal flight from Nairobi to Malindi, my girlfriend discovered her camera had been stolen from the checked luggage and dispatched me to the police station to report the theft and request a police incident form. Malindi police are very welcoming and must enjoy the company of tourists – I got interviewed by the head of CID, and ultimately, the chief of police. Exasperated at my lack of knowledge of “how to make the wheels turn”, they finally let me go and gave me my incident report into the bargain.

The only time I have had the car broken into was also in the Netherlands, Zeist Railway Station near Utrecht. I have always felt safe in that country too, the last place I would have thought this to happen.

Yes, the police were “helpful”, providing lots of forms to fill out, but no action.

My hotel room was broken into in Northampton, and my laptop among other things was taken. I expected the police to turn up, but they never did. All I got from them was a reference number, and that was the last I heard from them.

It was a different scenario at Hong Kong airport where I left my wallet. Somehow, they managed to get in touch with my Hong Kong office even though there was only a UK licence in the wallet to identify me. It was sent to that office, from where it was couriered to me.