Nicolas Van der Maren, MR mayor of Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, takes over the chairmanship of the new Council of Mayors.
This body, set up by the Federal Ministry of the Interior, is gaining greater autonomy and influence: it can now set its own agenda items and issue proactive opinions on the organisation and functioning of local police, so as to ground federal decisions in on-the-ground reality.
Representative of the three Regions, the new composition of this Council comprises 16 mayors: 8 for Flanders, 6 for Wallonia and 2 for Brussels, put forward by the regional associations of cities and municipalities, with an eye to balancing types of police zones and ensuring coherent geographic distribution.
Alongside Koen Loete, mayor of Eeklo, who will serve as vice-chair with a rotation at mid-term, Nicolas Van der Maren will champion community policing and increased resources.
Under the impetus of Minister of the Interior and Security Bernard Quintin, the priorities are: transparency in the funding of local police forces, strengthening presence on the ground, streamlining scales including the merger of Brussels zones, investment in staff and wellbeing, digitalisation, and an integrated fight against organised crime.