Not a belligerent country by nature, Belgium has nonetheless noticed a pronounced rise in violence. Whilst organised crime has called for an organised response, forces of law and order increasingly find themselves the direct target of attacks, rather than indirect victims hurt on the line of duty.
Notwithstanding recent tragedies, police here aren't famed for being heavy-handed and more often are seen around the capital with semi-sporty attire and riding bikes. Heavy weaponry is unusual and you don't cross the street at the sight of the distinctive caps (slightly reminiscent of fortune cookies).
But it isn't just police who have experienced a surge in hostility; others carrying out a public service – whether emergency healthcare teams or those steering public transport – also find themselves subject to a growing number of assaults. And though the circumstances surrounding these gratuitous attacks change, analysts point to young gang violence as an underlying commonality.
Police have noted the anonymity that assailants feel within a group, often feeding a sense of impunity that brings with it more severe aggression than a single perpetrator would commit. Also more likely in a group is the use of weapons, with firearms known to be easily accessible on the black market.
And though stamping out juvenile hooliganism with tougher policing is a strategy that fails to grasp the broader social factors, there is understanding anxiety among law enforcement who have been critical of underfunding and understaffing (the federal police alone is trying to fill 2,000 vacancies). At the same time, forces have felt let down by national bodies and politicians, whilst they themselves pay the price on the front line.
Clearly a lot needs to change but where to start? Let @Orlando_tbt know.
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