How effective are the Brussels forces of law and order in keeping streets clean and secure? It's a critical question in the run-up to the municipal elections (13 October), as many express fears that public safety is being eroded by criminal activity.
The police are powerless and gangs operate with impunity, the story goes. Earlier this year a series of stabbings and shootings took place in the capital, some of them fatal. Police stepped up efforts to uncover and crack networks, not only targeting street dealers but infiltrating command chains, many linked to international organisations.
But their response did little to counter the notion that gangs have the upper hand. And whilst the police clearly don't have a grip on the situation, the narrative of weak law enforcement overwhelmed by "drug mafias" has in some cases been hijacked and fused with the political agenda that calls for a tougher stance against migrants and a heavy-handed approach to drug policy.
"They are trying to tarnish the image of Brussels and my commune," Jean Spinette, the mayor of Saint-Gilles, said in response to a video shared by a member of right-wing Flemish N-VA party. The clip showed indiscreet drug dealing, though had been taken out of context (it is from June 2023) and was published with the caption: "We need to take back control."
Saint-Gilles has become a focal point of the city's war on drugs and Spinette (PS) is under no illusion about the scale of the problem. His frustration is with the simplistic rendering of a multifaceted issue that would rather take a sledgehammer approach than treat delicate social challenges. He is keen to work with details and bats away unhelpful remarks from political opponents.
There is a thin line between acknowledging a problem and working constructively to resolve it, and painting Brussels as a city overrun with nefarious foreign gangs. Spinette brings clarity to a charged debate that often wilfully overlooks complexity for partisan gains. Read the full interview here.
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