While Anderlecht mayor Fabrice Cumps (PS) admits that the Cureghem district – which has been making headlines after multiple drug-related shootings in February – is very challenging to manage, he denies that he has deliberately abandoned the people to their fate.
The residents of Cureghem denounced a situation that has been allowed to deteriorate for years, leading to noise nuisance, littering, open drug dealing and use, and violence – all leading to an increasing feeling of insecurity for those who live there.
Last week, they wrote an open letter to denounce what they felt was the authorities' deliberate abandonment of their neighbourhood.
"It is worth remembering that the Cureghem neighbourhood, like many others in the heart of the Brussels-Capital Region, faces a host of challenges," Cumps told The Brussels Times in response to the open letter.
While he denied that the municipal council was neglecting the area, he did underline that he only has limited resources to deal with a long list of issues.
Many issues, few resources
Some of the items on this list of problems to be fixed, he said, are old and too densely populated buildings, a lack of green spaces, a concentration of businesses that can cause nuisances, a high turnover rate of the local population, and the regular presence of illegal dumping and other forms of pollution.
But Cumps also spoke of the cohabitation between diverse communities from war-torn countries and the wandering of people under the influence, particularly around the Brussels Midi station. "Additionally, there is a constant struggle between criminal organisations to take over highly lucrative drug-dealing spots – making it difficult for residents to carry out positive projects for their neighbourhood."
Headlines of shootings and stabbings between rival drug gangs in the area (specifically around the Clemenceau area) have become a regular occurrence in recent months. In February, surveillance camera footage of two Kalashnikov-carrying young men in the metro station sparked a new flurry of concern and press conferences from regional and federal authorities – but for locals, the situation on the ground has not changed.
Minister of Justice Annelies Verlinden and Minister of Interior Bernard Quintin pictured during a meeting to discuss two recent shooting incidents, Friday 07 February 2025 in Brussels. Credit: Belga/Hatim Kaghat
In light of all the listed challenges, Cumps emphasised that the municipal and police authorities are ensuring that they are maximising their resources to "ensure the regular maintenance of public spaces, combat slum landlords, and resolutely combat various forms of nuisance."
As locals have long been complaining about litter, illegal dumping and people putting their rubbish out on the wrong days without consequences, the street cleaning teams have been strengthened in recent years. What's more, the Cureghem area is now considered a priority, he said.
"We are also increasing our contacts with regional agency Brussels Cleanliness, and meetings were held just last week with the management of this agency, which is responsible for cleaning the regional roads such as Chaussée de Mons and Rue Bara," Cumps said.
To provide an alternative to illegal dumping, mini-recycling parks are regularly organised in Cureghem, and a new recycling centre has been opened near Quai Demets.
Legitimate complaints
To combat substandard housing, the authorities regularly meet with locals and property owners in the district – aiming to encourage owners to renovate their buildings to provide an optimal living environment for their occupants. "It is with great determination that our staff are involved in these very concrete cases, particularly in Cureghem, where the buildings are older than elsewhere in the municipality of Ancderlecht."
"To respond to the complaints – which, I want to stress, are very legitimate – of citizens who want to live in peace, we must be able to ensure a police presence at the necessary locations and times," Cumps said.
Therefore, a special team of around 30 local police officers can work across the police zone to combat these nuisances, which are often closely or loosely linked to drug trafficking, he explained. "Except in emergencies, these officers are exempt from responding to emergency calls."
"Instead, these local teams can focus on contacting the public, gathering evidence against locations generating nuisances, and carrying out checks, arrests, and even confiscations of goods illegally offered for sale."
Illustrative image. Credit: Belga
As Cureghem is one of the major hotspots in the Midi police zone (Anderlecht, Saint-Gilles and Forest) as part of the regional strategy to combat drug-dealing, dozens of planned actions are carried out throughout the year, each involving small and large seizures, the drafting of reports (including immediate transactions), and the preparation of judicial and administrative case files.
Cumps stressed that he coordinates the monitoring of administrative police cases with Brussels Public Prosecutor Julien Moinil, who is responsible for the judicial side of things: in recent months, some 10 establishments in Cureghem have been shut, and a few weeks ago, more than 110 police officers were deployed on the ground during a major operation in the Porte d'Anderlecht neighbourhood.
"I also emphasise that all of this takes place within a context of partnership between public services," Cumps said. Indeed, the Immigration Office, the Labour Auditorate, the Federal Judicial Police, the Midi police zone, and numerous municipal employees are directly or indirectly involved in these operations, particularly in Cureghem.
No abandonment
Nevertheless, Cumps reiterated that resources at his disposal are "inadequate" to meet the challenges on the ground. He pointed out that more staff are "urgently needed," particularly at the Brussels Cleanliness agency, to ensure the constant cleaning of the streets most affected by litter. "We are also awaiting refinancing from our municipalities – via the general municipal grant – in light of the challenges facing our municipality of Anderlecht."
Similarly, he stressed the importance of proposing "innovative and alternative solutions" to curbside waste collection for Curghem. "The use of deposit systems for certain types of waste, such as cans, should also be seriously considered."
More generally, community policing must be able to rely on a much larger number of personnel. "Given the current state of discussions," Cumps is "not reassured at all" by the Federal Government's proposal to merge Brussels' six police zones into one large zone. "We will pay close attention to the progress of this matter."
Additionally, a new community centre will open on the Chaussée de Mons this autumn. "This public tool will reflect the entire basis of our actions and will symbolise our desire to consider Cureghem as a neighbourhood with enormous potential, which therefore deserves our full attention."
"Clearly, the Cureghem neighbourhood is not being abandoned," he stressed. "On the contrary, the challenge is to maintain as much of a public presence in this neighbourhood as possible to address the challenges on the ground."
