Brussels will deploy 40 extra police officers, 20 mobile cameras and a permanent coordination unit to tackle drug trafficking-related violence, Minister-President Boris Dilliès announced on Wednesday evening after a Regional Security Council meeting at safe.brussels.
Federal Interior Minister Bernard Quintin said the 40 officers would be sent to strengthen the police presence on the streets and boost investigative capacity.
Officers from other police zones will also support the Brussels-South zone, which covers Anderlecht, Forest and Saint-Gilles, particularly in the evenings and overnight.
Dilliès said the 20 mobile cameras would be installed in the affected neighbourhoods in the coming days.
A permanent coordination unit will be set up within safe.brussels to improve information-sharing between local and federal police, the justice system, municipalities and the Brussels Region, as well as health and prevention services.
The unit will also work with the regional drugs commissioner, whose recruitment is currently under way.
Dilliès reminded mayors that they can impose curfews or restrict access to the most sensitive areas to local residents only.
He added that he could issue police orders if police chiefs make further requests.
“The fight against drug trafficking cannot be conducted in silos,” Dilliès said, adding that the permanent coordination and new resources should support officers on the ground and make them more effective against traffickers.
The meeting brought together federal, regional and local authorities, including the interior and justice ministers, mayors, police zones, the public prosecutor’s office, National Drug Commissioner Ine Van Wymersch and Sophie Lavaux, Director General of safe.brussels
