Police step up activities in Brussels North

Police step up activities in Brussels North

Increased police presence in the area around Brussels-North Station has led to the arrest of over 40 criminals in four months, the Brussels-North police reported on Monday. “The area around the Bruxelles-Nord Station has many problems; it strongly attracts individuals or groups living in precarious conditions,” Frédéric Dauphin, Chief of police for Brussels-North (Schaerbeek, Evere and Saint-Josse-ten-Noode), said on Monday. “The many prostitution houses and drinking places also attract people from throughout Brussels and other regions. This situation causes serious crime-related problems and generates, in particular, a feeling of insecurity.”

This led the police to draw up a three-pronged action plan in July 2018.  Under this plan, structural measures that can have an impact on the surroundings, such as additional street lights and surveillance cameras, have been implemented.

Preventive work has also been done, including an awareness campaign against baggage theft and a beefed-up police presence in the area. In the past three months, three Dolly actions and 22 safety patrols have been organised, in addition to daily policing, thus increasing the number of hours spent on patrolling by 60%.

The third aspect of the plan focuses on three types of crime: petty larceny, trafficking in narcotics and robbery with violence.

“Since early July, 21 petty thieves have been apprehended,” the police reported. “Thirteen authors of violent robberies have also been apprehended and about 10 drug dealers were caught red-handed. Many investigations are under way and should soon bear fruit.”


The Brussels Times


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