The Belgian Minister of the Interior, Bernard Quintin, has warned that the country "is in a situation of national emergency" following the recent succession of shootings in Brussels, and has put forward a package of actions to intensify the response to violence associated with drug trafficking and organized crime.
In a message disseminated on social media, Quintin stated that, "after the new series of shootings in Brussels, I have proposed several concrete measures to strengthen the fight against violence related to drug trafficking and organized crime. We are in a situation of national emergency. The fight against organized crime must be an absolute priority for all services and all levels of power."
According to details from the RTL network, among the decisions communicated by the Interior Minister is the sending of an additional infantry platoon to the capital, the reinforcement of special units of the Police and the Federal Judicial Police of Brussels, and the extension of operations framed within the Comprehensive Police Action.
Quintin has insisted that "to guarantee the safety of our citizens, an additional effort is required. If we do not act today in a coordinated and firm manner, we will continue to act retrospectively. That is why we are significantly reinforcing the federal presence on the ground."
The Brussels region is experiencing a new spike in armed violence, with six shootings in just four days in the districts of Anderlecht, Saint-Gilles, and Molenbeek. With these incidents, the total number of shootings recorded since the beginning of the year rises to 65, already matching the total from the entire previous year.
During a meeting held this Tuesday with Quintin, the mayors of the affected areas expressed their dissatisfaction with the lack of resources from the federal government and demanded from the minister a "federal" approach, understanding that the increase in crime in the capital constitutes "a national issue," according to information from the local network BX1.
The mayors also maintain that the current reinforcement of the Federal Police is "insufficient" and have explored the option of directly requesting the intervention of federal agents through Article 43 of the law on police functions, provided for situations of serious and imminent threat to public order when local means are insufficient.
The minister, on the other hand, has defended his actions and has rejected that Brussels has fewer police resources than other cities like Antwerp. Likewise, he has attributed the current scenario to "between 20 and 25 years of indecision" accumulated in the security policy in the capital.