Criminals succeeded in seizing a hundred police and army uniforms last year, writes Het Laatste Nieuws on Friday. The federal police is strongly recommending that its police employees make known such thefts immediately.
Headgear, jumpers, jackets, entire uniforms, all police clothing items are highly sought-after. Thefts have taken place particularly at the homes of the police and police stations.
These make it possible for criminals to flee without arousing suspicion in the chaos following an attack. They are also used by young offenders, as in the recent instances of Coutrai and Uccle to break into the homes of old ladies.
“We are asking our agents to be careful,” indicated the police spokesperson, Peter De Waele, in Het Laatste Nieuws. “However it not possible for our colleagues to keep all of their clothes in a safe at home. The only thing to do is to report any theft as quickly as possible. It is their duty. This is particularly so during a period of terrorist threats."
The Federal Police are not able to say how many uniforms that were stolen last year have been recovered.
(Source: Belga)
