Government funding for Prevention with Authority initiative in Heerlen-Noord
Heerlen will once again receive funding from the government for the Prevention with Authority initiative in Heerlen-Noord. The Ministry of Justice and Security has approved the municipality's application for the new funding period 2026–2029. Heerlen will receive more than €6.8 million over 3.5 years for this initiative. This amount is comparable to the current funding.
Prevention with Authority
The ministry launched the Prevention with Authority program in 2023. The approach focuses on preventing, reducing, and tackling (youth) crime in vulnerable areas. A total of 27 municipalities are participating. Within this program, Heerlen is focusing primarily on Heerlen-Noord.
Funding by the federal government
Municipalities receive the funds in different periods. The current funding period ends on May 31, 2026. The new period runs from June 1, 2026, to December 31, 2029. Heerlen's application for this period has been fully approved by the ministry.
Important steps taken
In recent years, Heerlen has taken important steps together with many partners. These include Health and safety organizations, the Open University, the National Program Heerlen-Noord, and the Parkstad municipalities. An important development is the Integral Youth Approach Parkstad (IJAP). This ensures that young people who are causing concern are identified and helped more quickly. Often, light support is sufficient. If necessary, we also take criminal action. Heerlen is also working with more than 30 partners to improve safety in and around schools. Additional youth professionals and security staff have also been deployed to provide better guidance to young people.
In the coming years, Heerlen will continue to build on this approach. More attention will be paid to the digital world of young people, such as risks on social media. The municipality is also launching a Youth Intervention Team (JIT). This team will ensure that professionals coordinate their efforts more effectively.
I am very pleased with these new resources for Prevention with Authority. Our young people are increasingly confronted with crime, on the streets, at school, and online. Criminals are cleverly exploiting this situation. It may seem harmless at first, but once you're in that world, it's difficult to get out. It is our job to help young people and keep them on the right track. With Prevention with Authority, we can really make a difference," says Mayor Roel Wever.