Majority dissensions on privatising police tasks

Majority dissensions on privatising police tasks
Franky Demon is concerned that tasks which should, quite rightly, fall within the police's remit do remain so.

Open VLD has drawn up a list of 20 police tasks which it says could be taken on by private security firms.

Amongst these feature, in particular, screening and management of camera images, the training and use of dogs, use of drones, security checks and checks on individuals.

With this proposal, the Flemish liberals are treading on the toes of the Minister for the Interior, Jan Jambon (of the New Flemish Alliance). He will shortly be setting out a plan to broaden the application of the legislation across the sphere of private security.

The deputies Sabien Lahaye-Battheu and Katja Gabriëls, spearheading the Open VLD proposal, say “We should make firms private security players in their own right.”

The CD&V deputy, Franky Demon, does not favour the outsourcing of police tasks across the board.

Demon considers, “It should be possible for private firms to simply request an individual's identity card. However carrying out a raid, for example, should remain a police mission.”

Moreover, the Flemish Christian Democrat is opposed to lifting prohibitions for police to join private security firms, without there being a waiting period of five years between undertaking the two roles.

The Brussels Times


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