The aim of this reform is to strengthen the safety of everyone who lives in Brussels, works there or visits it. The current organisation into six zones has shown its limits. Recent events all too often remind us of the need to fight more effectively and more forcefully against insecurity and organised crime, while guaranteeing strong local presence
1. Background
A single police zone for Brussels? Liberal Minister Bernard Quintin achieved it at the end of July! This debate has been on the table for many years, and the MR has finally made it happen. It is an important liberal marker in the security area. Barely two months after the federal government took office, Interior Minister Bernard Quintin (MR) already presented his project to merge the Brussels police zones to the mayors last April.
The Brussels region is currently divided into 6 police zones. In its 2024 programme, the MR already advocated merging the six Brussels police zones into one. The aim of this reform is to strengthen the safety of everyone who lives in Brussels, works there or visits it. The current organisation into six zones has shown its limits. Recent events have once again shown us the need to fight more effectively and more forcefully against insecurity and organised crime, while guaranteeing strong local presence.
2. Merging the zones for a more effective response to organised crime, strengthened police action in exceptional situations and economies of scale.
The six zones involve a duplication of structures: zone chiefs, spokespersons, websites, public procurement, etc. A merger will boost efficiency, not by cutting resources but by redirecting them to the field.
Moreover, a single zone will allow better coordination, an overall view and a more effective response to crime. The aim is simply to improve the safety of all Brussels residents, of the 400,000 to 500,000 commuters who come to work there every day, and of those who visit our capital. Crime does not stop at administrative borders, and current cooperation between zones is insufficient. Furthermore, crime has evolved significantly, making it necessary to overhaul the structures to reflect reality. It is a matter of good governance.
All this without losing the local presence needed for a local police force to function properly. To ensure this is preserved, the federal level will make sure minimum standards are met regarding the number of community officers per municipality (the law provides, for example, one neighbourhood officer per 2,000 inhabitants), a sufficient number of police stations and opening hours adapted to the needs of the population.
3. What does this project involve?
3.1. For Brussels:
- Creation of a single police zone within the boundaries of the Brussels Region;
- This single police zone will be created one year after the bill is adopted by the federal parliament;
- This single zone will be led by a police board made up of the 19 mayors of the Brussels municipalities;
- It will be the largest police zone in Belgium: 6,500 operational officers and around 1,000 logistical staff;
- Financial support of €55 million over 5 years to implement this reform.
But this reform project is ultimately not limited to the Brussels Region.
3.2. For the whole country:
- Retention of mayors' powers: they will remain responsible for maintaining order in their municipality;
- Abolition of police councils: this measure will save around €2 million across all police zones in the country;
- The current powers of the police councils will be transferred to the police boards.
4. Support measures to encourage the merging of zones
More generally, and to encourage voluntary mergers, the preliminary draft also provides incentives for zone mergers taking place before December 2029.