Lowest crime figures in 15 years

12 July 2016
Lowest crime figures in 15 years

Last year, the police registered almost 900,000 criminal offences, from murder to armed robbery. That is 7.7 percent less than in 2014. “It is not only the fourth year in a row that we record a decrease, but it is already also the lowest figure since systematic measurements were started in 2000,” Minister of Security and the Interior Jan Jambon states. “But our work isn’t done yet: we have absolutely got to make some headway in the fight against terror, cybercrime, arms trafficking and human trafficking.”

The decreasing crime figures are the result of years of sustained effort, with more police on the streets and increased use of technological tools. However, the impact of the increased terror threat since the beginning of 2015 cannot be denied either. “The attack on the headquarters of Charlie Hebdo resulted in more police and more military on the street and thus an increased chance of getting caught,” Jan Jambon remarks. “This has a discouraging effect on criminals.”

Also more policing on the internet

To begin with, Minister Jambon wants to continue investing in technological tools. For example, the use of so-called ANPR cameras allows detecting signalled vehicles through number plate recognition. With a view to the construction of a national surveillance camera network, the additional use of thousands of those cameras has been planned in the multi-annual plans of the government. In addition, the minister focuses on a PNR-database for passenger details, which must help track down suspicious persons and travel movements.

This extra focus on technology is more than justified in light of growing cybercrime. “There has also been a shift to the virtual world among criminals,” Jan Jambon comments. For example, reports of internet fraud are on the increase (+12.4 percent). Therefore Jan Jambon wants to ensure significantly more policing on the internet. “We are making herculean leaps forward when it comes to technology, which is necessary because we need to fight criminals with equivalent fire power. When it comes to the internet, they cannot be allowed to continue leaving us in the dust.”

Hub for arms trafficking and terrorism

Some categories of crime are still seeing a stronger increase. For example, the number of terrorism reports increased by seventy percent last year, while the number of registrations for illegal arms trafficking also increased by more than half. The latter is a clear priority for Minister Jambon. “During international meetings, people often look at Belgium - and more specifically Brussels - as the hub for illegal arms,” Jan Jambon confirms. And rightly so, based on the figures: in 2015, the trade and production of arms increased again by more than half (+53.1 percent). “There is still more to be done if we truly wish to meet this phenomenon head on,” the Minister acknowledges.

The increased number of terrorism registrations can be attributed to the fact that more things have become punishable offences, such as inciting people to travel to Syria, where they can then fight alongside IS. Against Syrian fighters themselves, a criminal file is immediately opened for participating in terrorist group activities. “In the meantime, we have already invested more than half a billion euros in the fight against terror and significantly augmented our legislation. This government is thus fully committed to guaranteeing maximum security for this country and its citizens,” Jan Jambon concludes.

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