In an open letter, a large group of neighbourhood associations and committees have denounced the approach to tackling the violence and insecurity in several Brussels districts. Meanwhile, the situation is worsening, they wrote.
The "Comité 40" sent an initial letter to the Capital Region's Minister-President Rudi Vervoort (PS) six months ago in which various neighbourhood organisations sounded the alarm on rising drug use and the violence this comes with. Now, they are once again demanding an immediate solution to these problems, arguing that little has changed.
"Our previous letter was a collective response to a condition that was unacceptable to each of us and for which the limit had been reached," Eric Vandezande, a member of the Yser-Sainctelette neighbourhood committee, wrote in the letter published by Het Nieuwsblad.
"Today, we see that drug trafficking continues and even worsens in certain Brussels neighbourhoods publicly and without embarrassment. Daily life on the streets is not improving," he added.
The letter comes in the wake of numerous shootings in Saint-Gilles, where one person was killed, and Schaerbeek. Vandezande stressed that while the violence is usually between gangs, in some cases, ordinary passers-by also become collateral damage.
Pointing fingers
The neighbourhood committees expressed their anger at the "lukewarm and resigned reaction of the political world to this development". adding that at all political levels – federal, regional and local – responsibilities are being shifted without politicians reaching a common approach.
"For us ordinary citizens, this procrastination by politicians based on the motto 'it's not up to me, it's up to the other' is disheartening and it indicates a real disconnect with the expectations of the people of Brussels," Vandezande wrote.
The committees feel that the region has waited too long to react. "It is only after the recent series of daily shootings that things seem to be accelerating again," the letter reads. "The incidents in Schaerbeek, Saint-Gilles, Forest and Anderlecht over the past few days prove that the basic security we need and must be guaranteed by you, to live and function normally in our city, is still horribly lacking."
Vandezande pointed to the measures called for by locals in the previous letter – a concerted approach supported by a dedicated budget and proactive attitudes from all levels of government – and added that to tackle the problem effectively, the social component should also be considered.
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"We expect a holistic approach, ranging from prevention and psychological and medical assistance to housing assistance," he argued. "We also expect you to pay special attention to Brussels neighbourhoods where public spaces are poorly maintained or neglected because it is often in these neighbourhoods that problems are concentrated."
On Tuesday, the scheduled Regional Security Council took place attended by Vervoort and Sophie Lavaux, managing director of safe.brussels, the security body of the region. During the meeting, Vervoort noted he had read the open letter, and stressed the government will do even more on prevention.
"I certainly understand the fear of the residents," he said. "But armed drug trafficking is not only a Brussels problem, it is one that you also see in other cities." Vervoort will be meeting with representatives of the Comité 40 on 4 March 2024.
