Following criticism of the recent Brussels police action to preventively arrest 200 young people in order to prevent riots such as those seen in France, an "action framework" has been created to set out a standardised protocol.
The plan, drawn up by Federal Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden, should give police forces better guidelines on how and when to carry out checks on people.
After it was revealed that the Brussels police had pre-emptively arrested 200 young people to avoid riots, public outcry denounced heavy-handedness. But the police chief defended the action by saying that the arrests were justified as many of those arrested were carrying balaclavas, buffs (scarves to cover the face) and emergency hammers.
"To be clear: my concern is the safety of our population. All those who do not behave should be dealt with accordingly. But on the other hand, I have also listened to representatives of youth councils and youth organisations," Verlinden said on Flemish radio. "There is a feeling there that certain young people are picked out by the police more often than others."
Verlinden has therefore adjusted a "handling framework" for all police forces. "The aim is to give them a set way to deal with those identity checks." That framework rests on four pillars: selecting, motivating, treating the person being checked with respect and reflecting.
Breaking prejudice through communication
"There must always be a particular reason to carry out a particular check," said Verlinden. "We cannot allow random, ethnic or discriminatory checks. Ultimately, that widens the gap between the population and the police and leads to a greater sense of insecurity. It is not just about showing hierarchy and power."
The "motivating" pillar is mainly about communication: "Young people say that they are targeted all the time, that they are checked several times a day or a week, while that is not the case with friends who look a bit different. That could give a feeling that one is singled out for prejudiced reasons."
"Very often, this lack of understanding has to do with poor communication. That is why we ask all police officers to give a clear explanation as to why they do so," Verlinden said.
The checks should also be carried out respectfully and evaluated afterwards. "We want this handling framework to be widely supported by the police. That is why we ask to always look back anyway: how can this be done better?"
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The Minister stressed that the directives should not interfere with other police initiatives. Prevention, for example, remains very important: "There are many initiatives to bring police closer to young people. I strongly believe in that. Those initiatives help to be able to intervene when tempers are heated."
Verlinden emphasised the benefits of local Brussels authorities speaking directly to the parents of young people and calling them to order. "They will have to answer together with their children. A municipal administrative sanction (GAS fine) may even be imposed on them."
"Everyone has to do their part for our safety, first and foremost the parents. They have to tell their children, often minors, that it is unacceptable for them to be involved in rioting and setting fires."
