On a proposal by the Minister of Security and Home Affairs, Bernard Quintin, the government has decided to extend by six months the presence of soldiers brought in to support the police.
Since early April, police officers and soldiers have been patrolling together in Brussels' railway and metro stations, in response to drug-trafficking-related violence and the overall security situation in the capital.
The figures are moving in the right direction. The number of recorded offences in Brussels' railway and metro stations has fallen by more than 10%.
The sharpest decreases were observed in particular for violent theft, weapon possession and irregular residence.
“These results show that our strategy is producing very concrete effects on the ground. The mixed military-police patrols are a central part of that, and today we are deciding to extend their deployment. In a security context that remains difficult in the capital, this federal government will continue to mobilise all the resources needed to protect Brussels residents and commuters,” says Bernard Quintin.
In addition to the support provided to the railway police in Brussels' stations and metro stations, the current protocol also provides for a broader deployment of soldiers to reinforce the police as part of targeted operations, known as “FIPA” actions, launched under Minister Quintin's Major Cities Plan.