Police officers in Brussels North will start patrolling by bike starting from October. Starting from October, cycling officers will patrol Evere, Saint-Josse and Schaerbeek, joining the mode of transport of their colleagues in the Brussels Capital-Ixelles and South zones.
On Monday, the police council was given permission to purchase light bulletproof vests, which the officers will be able to wear when cycling, said council member Arnaud Verstraete.
Last year, the plan to give the northern police zone a bicycle brigade as well was already announced, but the right bullet-proof vests were missing. The ones they had, weighed 12 kilograms and were far too heavy to wear for longer than a few hours at a time, according to Verstraete.
The bicycle brigade will start working in October and will initially exist of ten officers, reported Bruzz.
Seven of them have already been recruited, and are currently working with other teams. "Two of them already voluntarily work as cycling officers from time to time, especially at school gates, and then wear the current bulletproof vests," Verstraete said.
Just like in the Brussels Capital zone, the agents will focus on enforcing traffic rules.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
