There were 456 armed robberies in Amsterdam last year, a drop of 19% on 2009, the capital’s police chief Bernard Welten said on Monday.

And in Rotterdam, the number of armed robberies was down 10% at 379, the region’s police chief Frank Pauw said.
Both police chiefs announced the figures at their forces’ traditional New Year receptions.
Major effort
The sharp reduction in armed robberies in Amsterdam comes a year after Welten had said a major effort was needed to reverse the trend, after a rise in 2009.
Two people were killed in armed robberies last year, including one jeweller who was shot dead. His death was a ‘low point’ in the city’s murder rate, Welten said.
In total, 19 people in the capital lost their lives through violent crime, compared with 29 in the previous year.
However, the burglary rate was up 9% to 6,820, which is of serious cause for concern, the police chief said.

Event policing
Welten also said the police is at full capacity in terms of policing by major events. ‘We could do with fewer,’ he said. The police does not have a ‘bottomless pit’ of officers.
In Rotterdam, Paauw said a special team is being formed in an effort to cut the armed robbery rate.