It seems to happen every week in Groningen's nightlife. Serious assaults, stabbings, shootings, and inappropriate behavior appear to be the order of the day. This has prompted police chief Gerard de Jonge and judge René Jansen to publicly advocate for an end to the unrestricted opening hours as we have known them here in Groningen for 40 years.
Meanwhile, the debate over closing times has also reached local politics. Parliamentary group leader of Student & Stad, Olivier van Schagen, is fiercely opposed to introducing closing times for hospitality entrepreneurs.
What do the facts say?
First of all, it is important to have all the facts straight. There is, after all, a big difference between how safe people feel (perceived safety) and what the actual crime figures show. In politics, too, parties sometimes loudly shout that the situation is getting completely out of hand and that safety in the Groningen night is deteriorating rapidly. The figures, however, show something entirely different. The number of registered sex and violent crimes in Groningen has halved compared to 15 years ago. The number of threats and assaults has also been declining for years. Does that mean nothing is wrong at all? Certainly not. The possession and use of knives and firearms has increased in Groningen in recent years. It is not yet as bad as in Rotterdam or Amsterdam, but in our city too, it has nowadays become easy to get hold of a weapon.
So, while the total number of violent incidents has decreased, the use of weapons makes them more severe and, naturally, more frequently highlighted in the media. This leads to Groningen residents feeling less safe when going out, and because a large portion of the truly serious incidents takes place after 3:00 AM, more and more voices are calling for mandatory closing times to be imposed on hospitality entrepreneurs again, as is the case in other cities. But that would ruin the Groningen night while merely displacing the problem and possibly even making it worse.
Why closing times are not the solution
Most incidents, in fact, take place on the street. When every pub has to close at 2:00 AM or 3:00 AM, everyone ends up on the street at the same time, which makes it very likely that you merely displace the incidents that normally occur later in the evening to the moment everyone is pushed out onto the street.
In addition, introducing closing times does not address the real problems of Groningen's nightlife at all. It does not curb weapon possession, and although people might have less time to lose their inhibitions, it is also not a measure against (sexually) inappropriate behavior, a widespread problem in nightlife.
What does work
As politicians who can often be found at night in the Peperstraat and Poelestraat ourselves, we advocate, instead of closing times, for measures that actually contribute to increasing safety in nightlife. The municipality can install additional cameras so that the police can intervene more quickly during scuffles and prevent further escalation. Furthermore, we want bar staff and security personnel to receive mandatory training to recognize and address inappropriate behavior, so that it becomes safer not only on the street, but also inside the pubs. The deployment of hospitality stewards in the nightlife district could also contribute to a good atmosphere and greater social control, nipping incidents in the bud in advance.
Cherish the night
In short, as a local party for students and city residents, we call on the rest of the political spectrum not to dismantle the unique character of the Groningen night with a symbolic measure like closing times, but to work with us on solutions that genuinely contribute to safety in nightlife. After all, the Groningen night is not a problem to be shut down, but something to be cherished and protected.
