Amsterdam’s Delflandpleinbuurt declared nuisance area amid drug crimes, safety concerns

The Delflandpleinbuurt in Amsterdam’s Nieuw-West was designated this week by the municipality as an official nuisance area, AT5 reports. Residents in the nearby Poeldijkstraat area continue to report drug-related violence, break-ins, and threats linked to a HVO-Querido facility, according to officials and local accounts.

The municipality says the Delflandpleinbuurt is facing “excessive nuisance from groups of people.” These groups are involved in “drug trafficking, open drug use, aggressive begging, and threats.” Because of the designation, police can now impose a 24-hour area ban on individuals causing disturbances.

Residents say the problems have persisted for years. One resident said, “There is quite a lot of nuisance here. So I understand it. I think it is a very good move.” Another called the decision “great,” but said it is not sufficient, adding, “They should give them a permanent ban.”

In the summer of 2025, AT5 recorded open drug dealing in a roadside embankment near the A10 West in broad daylight. Since then, visible activity has declined. Rijkswaterstaat cut back surrounding vegetation, making dealers more exposed. The municipality also installed a surveillance camera more than six months ago.

“If you see a camera in traffic, you always slow down a bit,” one resident said, describing its deterrent effect. The same resident said people now warn each other to keep walking and move out of sight under the viaduct. Another resident said conditions have improved but are not fully resolved: “That is a very good change. Unfortunately, there are still clearly people involved in drugs.”

In the Poeldijkstraat area, some drug users live at a nearby HVO-Querido facility. Residents report ongoing serious disruption and fear. One said, “Some of my housemates have also been attacked. It is just dramatic. I no longer dare to go outside in the evening to do my groceries. I really like the camera. But if we still have police at the door almost every day, it does not help anything.”

Concerns were reinforced this week in responses to parliamentary questions from the VVD. The party described an “undesirable, frightening, and tense situation” in a student apartment complex on the street after multiple break-ins.

Mayor Femke Halsema confirmed resident reports in a written response. She stated: “According to the reporting residents, there were regular burglaries in their residential complex by people under the influence of drugs. There was vandalism and aggression toward residents. Drugs were used in and around the building. Several fires were set in the stairwell. Threatening messages were written on walls.”

On Delflandplein itself, a neighborhood center has opened where district officials monitor drug users and dealers. Residents say the situation has improved somewhat, but problems remain. One resident near the square described “an enormous amount of trouble” in recent months and said nuisance in the area remains disproportionate.

Some residents also fear renewed activity as vegetation along the A10 West grows back, potentially giving dealers cover again.

Broader redevelopment plans are also delayed. Construction of a planned residential tower with a parking garage near Delflandplein was set to begin this summer but has been postponed because the structure of the A10 is not suitable for the work. A new timeline has not been set. Plans to renovate the square are also on hold until construction is completed to prevent damage from construction traffic.