Local officials in Anderlecht are worried that drug-related crime is shifting from the inner-city to neighbouring areas on the heels of a multifaceted strategy aimed at reducing criminal activity.
While the ‘hotspots’ strategy launched in April 2024 was aimed at curbing violence and shootings around Clemenceau Square, many neighbouring areas are coming under increasing pressure from criminal elements, they say.
Opposition councillor Nadia Kammachi, head of the Ecolo group in the Anderlecht municipal council, addressed the issue at a council meeting on Thursday.
Kammachi noted that the Rauter Pavillion, a cultural venue in the eponymous park managed by the Terra Brasil non-profit, had stopped operating because young drug dealers were taking control of the site.
In a recent interview with Bruzz, the centre’s manager, Paulo Rocha, noted: “This is a territorial war, and the traffickers have won.”
Councillor Ali Husnain of Team Fouad Ahidar raised similar concerns, pointing to rising tensions on Brogniez Street, another area affected by the shift in drug-dealing hotspots.
Anderlecht Mayor, Fabrice Cumps, of the Francophone Socialist party (PS) acknowledged the problem, but maintained that solutions were being implemented.
The hotspot strategy, supported by the Brussels Region, combines enhanced police presence, increased identity checks, alcohol sales restrictions, and local prevention initiatives. The aim is to disrupt criminal networks while creating a safer living environment for residents.
“The hotspots are working well,” Cumps said, “the collaboration between the local police zone, the federal police, and the public prosecutor is optimal, But it is clear that the trafficking is relocating.”
“We’ve observed this, and law enforcement has adapted by increasing patrols in these areas,” he explained.
The mayor stressed that addressing the issue will require comprehensive, long-term efforts. “Neither the justice system nor the police can handle everything alone,” he said.
