Waste management service Bruxelles-Propreté has set up a campaign to raise awareness over the number of assaults committed against its employees, following the latest incident in the municipality of Forest.
Across the Belgian capital, five Recyparks are run by Bruxelles-Propreté, who provides containers for citizens to depose their recyclable rubbish. In 2022, a total of 47 assaults occurred at the service's so-called Recyparks.
All five Recyparks are now equipped with surveillance cameras, with security guards also in place. Staff are also due to receive training in how to deal with potential aggressors.
Recyparks have seen a spike in violent acts last year, with the municipality of Forest having been the scene of the latest attack on Bruxelles-Propreté's staff on Friday, 9 February.
Related News
- Train controllers in Belgium stop checking tickets in 'silent action' following violent incidents
- Suspect attacks policewoman at the Federal Police Administrative Centre in Brussels
According to the waste agency, staff were often the victims of moral or even sexual, harassment, with members of the public turning increasingly aggressive if they did not agree or comply with the Bruxelles-Propreté's rules.
Many harassed staff members often stop working following a physical or verbal altercation, which leads the park site to be closed by police and this "causes obvious inconvenience for all users," the agency explained.
