The municipality of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean is inviting residents to a meeting on Friday to discuss safety issues following a recent wave of violence in the area.
Belga News Agency reports that the meeting was initiated by acting mayor Amet Gjanaj (PS) after residents requested that concrete action be taken to deal with drug violence.
The municipality hopes that the discussion will “lead to concrete solutions in consultation with residents”.
Molenbeek, like nearby Anderlecht, has been plagued by a spate of shootings this summer, likely as part of the turf war between Brussels drug gangs.
The neighbourhood around Schoolstraat and Paalstraat, which is a stone's throw from Molenbeek Town Hall, has been particularly affected by the violence.
In a letter addressed to residents of the municipality, acting Mayor Gjanaj invited concerned citizens to participate in the meeting, which will take place on Friday at 18:00. Representatives of the police, the Molenbeek prevention service and other local authorities will also be present.
‘Alarming’ security situation in Brussels
More than 20 shooting incidents have taken place in the Brussels-Capital Region this summer. Since the beginning of the year, there have been 57 shootings.
With politicians and civil servants returning from their summer break, efforts are ramping up to address the issue.
According to Bruzz, the Brussels Parliament's Home Affairs Committee will meet this morning to debate the city's security situation.
"A majority of the committee members supported our request for an early meeting due to the alarming security situation in the capital," committee chair Aline Godfrin (MR) Godfrin said on Tuesday.
Earlier this month, acting mayor Saliha Raïss (Vooruit) called on the Federal Government to introduce “structural measures” to combat drug-related violence in Brussels.
Along with her party colleague Bieke Comer, who is a councillor in Anderlecht, Raïss called on the Federal Government to “take responsibility” and develop a "coordinated, regional and federal approach based on sustainability, prevention and repression where necessary".
The municipality has organised extra police patrols to enhance security and volatile areas are actively monitored with additional police officers, community guards and Move personnel.
However, according to Raïss, the temporary federal support in Molenbeek is insufficient to tackle the deep-rooted problem. "We cannot continue to fight this with one-off and temporary operations. Brussels deserves better. Molenbeek deserves better,” she said.
