The N-VA proposes 12 measures to restore order in the “drug neighbourhoods”

A full escalation of drug violence in the capital can no longer be contained. The Peterbos social housing estate in Anderlecht is a base for the drug mafia, and drug violence is also flaring up in other working-class neighbourhoods such as Hallepoort and the Marolles. Due to the Brussels government’s non-policy, criminal drug gangs are now taking over the streets there. Brussels MP Mathias Vanden Borre proposes a number of measures to restore order in these neighbourhoods.

The Brussels government has allowed the situation in the Peterbos neighbourhood and other working-class neighbourhoods, such as Hallepoort and the Marolles, to get completely out of hand. Brussels Minister-President Rudi Vervoort (PS party), responsible for security coordination in the region, even denied until recently that there would be an increase in the activity of organised gangs on Brussels territory. His answer to the drug problem is to organise injection rooms where drug users can “safely” consume drugs. Conclusion: the Brussels government’s total lack of a decisive policy is partly responsible for the current malaise in many Brussels residential areas.

Open the umbrella

In the meantime, the Minister-President is following the time-honoured pattern of opening the umbrella again: Brussels does not have the resources, so the federal government will just have to solve this. This is truly mind-boggling: due to its non-policy, the Brussels government first completely derails the situation and then refers it to the federal government because the problem has allegedly assumed too great a scale. As the federal Minister for Justice Paul Van Tigchelt stated, the problem in Brussels is not so much a lack of resources or manpower, but rather it is a lack of a safety culture and of an efficient safety structure. At best, far too much valuable time is lost due to consultation and coordination between the various actors on the ground before taking action. At worst, simply nothing happens.

12 priority actions

To restore order and prevent our Brussels working-class neighbourhoods from sinking further into gang violence, the following actions must be taken as a priority.

1. A ban on gatherings in the most problematic neighbourhoods, such as Peterbos, Hallepoort and the Marolles: all gatherings of more than five people are prohibited from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.
2. Identification of problem neighbourhoods and increased police presence around the clock to disrupt drug activities and make the necessary arrests.
3. Merger of police districts to enable a stronger and more efficient local approach.
4. Reinforcement of the local police: contributions from the municipalities to the police districts must be increased so that the framework can be completed in full.  
5. Assistance from the federal police where necessary to ensure safety in the residential areas most affected.
6. Establishment of a task force through the Regional Security Council to reinforce and accelerate cooperation and coordination between the local police districts and the federal police.
7. Establishment of a regional drug hotline where drug offences can be reported anonymously.
8. Establishment of a specialised crime and drug unit within safe.brussels that works in close consultation with the local and federal police.
9. Drawing up the “combat drug infiltration” action plan so that all competent services (housing, urban planning, permits, economy, etc.) detect and combat the infiltration of drug money into the regular economy.
10. Reinforcement of the Brussels public prosecutor’s office and establishment of a specialised drug and crime unit to enforce follow-up by the judiciary and summary justice.
11. Immediate work on neighbourhood information networks in all Brussels neighbourhoods to bolster citizens and safety policies.  
12. Merger of the community guards and all preventive security services into a regional “prevention service” under safe.brussels to drastically improve capacity and effectiveness.