After last week's shootings in Brussels, the Regional Security Council (RSC) met on Tuesday to discuss how to tackle the rising drug-related violence and shootings on its territory. After this meeting, media was invited for a press briefing.
While reporters were expecting them to lay out new measures for the strategy against drug-related violence, we were left wondering what the point of the briefing was. We expected the authorities to announce a solution to this problem. Instead, we were left waiting for over an hour before being ushered into the room.
The RSC brings together the mayors of the 19 Brussels municipalities, the chiefs of police of the six police zones, the director-coordinator and judicial director of the federal police, and Brussels' new Public Prosecutor Julien Moinil. On Tuesday, Belgium's brand-new Interior Minister Bernard Quintin (MR) and the National Drug Commissioner also took part in the meeting.
But once the press conference finally started, neither Quintin nor the new prosecutor – the officials newly appointed to tackle the issue – was in attendance. Only the outgoing Minister-President of Brussels Rudi Vervoort (PS), Anderlecht mayor Fabrice Cumps (PS) and General Director of safe.brussels Sophie Lavaux showed face.
Despite what some might call compelling evidence to the contrary, Vervoort immediately stressed that the regional hotspot strategy – which was implemented to tackle drug violence after a similar series of shootings last year – was working.
"Drug trafficking and violence, organised crime... These things are not just issues in Brussels. They are issues in every metropolis," he said. "You will just have to live with it."
Extending hotspot strategy
Only after reporters explicitly questioned why we had been called to this conference and asked if the RSC had decided to take additional measures, did Vervoort announce plans to extend the hotspot strategy by another six months.
This strategy was implemented after Brussels also experienced four shootings within three days in February 2024. While last year, the shootings took place in Saint-Gilles and the Marolles area in the city centre, this time the violence occurred in Anderlecht (Clémenceau and Peterbos) and Saint-Josse. In both instances, several people were injured and one was killed.
To make matters worse this time around, however, surveillance footage of the first shooting last week showed two people carrying Kalashnikovs in the Clémenceau metro station right before rush hour. Additionally, a bullet hole was found in a child's bedroom wall near the shooting.
As he did at the press conference that was organised after the shootings in February last year, Vervoort lamented that Brussels lacked the means to solve the issue of organised crime or to better tackle drug violence on its own. "Putting an end to the cycle of violence and drug trafficking requires the mobilisation of all authorities: municipal, regional and federal."
Meeting of the Regional Security Council (CORES) in response to the upsurge in drug-related violence in the Brussels-Capital Region, in Brussels, Tuesday 11 February 2025. Credit: Belga/James Arthur Gekiere
Meanwhile, Anderlecht mayor Fabrice Cumps (PS) responded that the police have a two-footed approach. "Our mission is to harass these dealers. But this is useless, except to show that the police are present and these are not 'lawless' neighbourhoods."
At the same time, Cumps stressed the necessity of more police on the street around the clock, to reassure both the population and the front-line staff. "But I realise that it is not possible to continue these measures forever."
Meanwhile, Lavaux of safe.brussels pointed out that the shootings are just the tip of the iceberg, and that only long-term answers are possible. "This is not a simple problem, and therefore we do not have a simple solution. To solve this, we must also look beyond Belgium because the problem is international. An integrated approach is needed."
Just living with it?
The Brussels regional strategy against drug trafficking and its impact on security was launched in April 2024 and is based on a targeted approach that combines security, prevention and improving the quality of life in the neighbourhoods concerned.
In consultation with the police services and mayors, 17 priority hotspots have now been identified (two more than at the start of this strategy last year). For each hotspot, a task force has been set up to bundle and coordinate actions for safety, prevention and improvement of neighbourhood life.
This includes an increased police presence at critical times, targeted legal actions against street dealing and safety measures with more identity checks, among others. More cleaning and maintenance of the infrastructure should also contribute to an improved living environment for the residents.
On Wednesday afternoon, Quintin is expected for an emergency session in the Parliament's Interior Committee to address the shootings and how the authorities are dealing with them.
We can only hope that he has prepared better answers than we'll "just have to live with it."
