Brussels Minister-President Rudi Vervoort held a meeting with delegates from various local community groups on Friday morning about growing insecurity across the city, Bruzz reports.
The gathering was in response to a public letter sent by the groups in late August in which they voiced concerns about escalating crime and drug-related challenges in specific Brussels districts. While no firm commitments were made at the meeting, the groups said they were "satisfied with the consultation."
Several weeks ago, multiple neighbourhood groups across Brussels urged Vervoort to address the growing issues of crime and drug abuse in the city. What started as a single campaign has now morphed into an organised civic initiative known as "The 40 Committees".
Erik Van den Zanden, who is part of the Yser-Sainctelette community group, told Bruzz that the initiative is expanding: "New community groups from Schaerbeek, Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, and central Brussels have joined us in the past few weeks."
Brussels train stations are well known problem zones and often have a heavy police presence. Credit: Belga / Nicolas Maeterlinck
Van den Zanden’s Yser area has been particularly affected by the growing crack epidemic, with the district even being dubbed the “Chicago of Brussels” for its rampant drug use, which is often done in public. This problem has spread to many other neighbourhoods, and there has also been a surge of vandalism, theft, and robberies.
The Brussels-Midi station area has become particularly problematic in recent years, with 146 armed robberies recorded at the station just this year.
The initial dialogue was hosted at the safe.brussels office on Avenue du Prince de Ligne. As well as Vervoort, local ministers Alain Maron and Elke Van den Brandt were in attendance, as well as Director-General of safe.brussels Sophie Lavaux.
Van den Zanden felt that the government officials' presence signalled a genuine interest in addressing the concerns raised. "It seemed they were already well-versed in the issues affecting our communities," he remarked.
During this session, "The 40 Committees" put forward a series of suggestions aimed at enhancing the living conditions in their respective neighbourhoods. "We will use these suggestions as a basis for ongoing evaluations of the situation in our communities. This will act as our committees' 'barometer'," Van den Zanden explained.
The Bruxelles-Nord station is also notorious for pickpockets and other crime. Credit: Belga / Paul-Henri Verlooy
Although the meeting was a step in the right direction, no specific plans were laid out. "We appreciate the open dialogue, but actionable steps are needed in the immediate future," commented the spokesperson for the community groups.
Some progress is already being made in tackling crime and unsanitary conditions in certain parts of the city. As part of the Federal Government’s plan to help tackle crime in the area surrounding Brussels-Midi, it has pledged to work alongside the Brussels-Capital Region and to better cooperation in sanitation between federal, regional, and municipal entities.
The concerns brought up by "The 40 Committees" are slated for discussion in the next regional security council meeting. Both sides committed to ongoing communication, with additional meetings already in the pipeline.
