Brussels police to recruit more local agents

Following a successful pilot project in Antwerp, it is now Brussels' turn to recruit more local police agents. The six Brussels police zones will be given their own recruitment service in order to boost the number of Brussels-based agents, reports Bruzz. "Less than five percent of our officers are from Brussels," says chief commissioner Johan Berckmans, who hopes that the new local recruitment service will correct the imbalance.

The recruitment of new agents currently takes place at the national level, through a series of selection procedures. As a result, the Brussels police zones often lack diversity and engagement with the local community.

The new joint recruitment service aims to help more Brussels residents find jobs with the local police. MP Jef Van Damme has long been convinced of the need for such a platform, he told Bruzz. "Only a fraction of the agents working in the capital actually lives there. That's not exactly good for our local terrain and community knowledge, nor for our safety,” says Van Damme.

"We should evolve into a police corps that is a reflection of the population it protects, one that knows the ins and outs of working in a metropolitan city. Unfortunately, right now that is not the case.”

The Brussels police forces are said to be in favour of the initiative.