Gouda pays Moroccan youth not to riot

Vlad has the news of this latest absurdity in EN:

Europe News… GOUDA, 17/02/10 – Gouda local council has given criminal Moroccan teenagers money to stop causing trouble. “We wanted to prevent matters from escalating further,” said the council yesterday.
Some dozens of young Moroccans waylaid and robbed passers-by in December. They were ‘bought off’ by the municipality to keep them off the street around New Year’s Eve. They received a combined 2,250 euros, shoved into an envelope, to organise a party, De Telegraaf reported yesterday.
Gouda has confirmed that it paid the troublemakers. “We wanted to prevent maters from escalating further. The youngsters themselves had presented a budget for the party. They had to say how much money they needed for hiring a disc-jockey, a bite to eat and drinks. For us, it was important that it should be quiet in the district around the turn of the year.”
According to the council, it had to act quickly. “Although the money was handed over in cash, it was well-spent. Everyone was happy afterwards. We also gave five Moroccans a gift voucher for a book shop afterwards as a thank-you,” says a spokeswoman.

Further comment would be superfluous, wouldn't it?