In a joint action of police and school attendance officers, under-23s were asked what they were doing on the street. Truants were brought to school in a van. If young people said they had a job, the police called their employer to verify this.

In an open letter, all local parties but Verburg’s own PvdA said that a call from the police to the employer might hurt the career of the young people involved. They called on Verburg to immediately stop the campaign.

In a response, Verburg says that the administration ‘understands’ the concerns of the council members. He says that the campaign will be put on hold, ‘partly in view of the ending of the school year’, until the matter will be discussed in a council meeting in September.

Verburg’s decision is a setback for city alderman Lodewijk Asscher, who embraced the approach despite criticism from the city council.

See also: De Baarsjes must stop harassing youth. Photo de Baarsjes