Acting mayor Molenbeek asks federal government to intervene against drug-related violence
Saliha Raïss, acting mayor of Molenbeek, calls on the federal government to take structural measures against the ongoing drug-related violence in Brussels. The past few days have once again been overshadowed by violent shootings in the Brussels-Capital Region, including in the municipality of Molenbeek.
According to the acting mayor of Molenbeek, the recent shootings are not “isolated events”. “They are linked and are moving from one neighbourhood to another,” Raïss said. “What starts in Anderlecht ends in Molenbeek.”
In consultation with the police, it was decided to organise extra visibility and presence on the ground. Sensitive areas are currently being actively monitored by additional police officers, community guards and Move personnel.
However, the temporary federal support in Molenbeek is insufficient to tackle the deep-rooted problem, emphasised Raïss. “We cannot continue to fight this with one-off measures and temporary operations. Brussels deserves better. Molenbeek deserves better.” Raïss calls on the federal government to take responsibility and insists on a “coordinated, regional and federal approach based on sustainability, prevention and repression where necessary”. The acting mayor amongst others asks for more clarity on the unification of the Brussels police zones.
“We cannot continue to fight this with one-off measures and temporary operations. Brussels deserves better. Molenbeek deserves better”
In response, the cabinet of interior minister Bernard Quintin underlined that the federal government has been working for months to combat drug-related violence in the capital. For example, local police teams are being assisted by federal brigades and the federal judicial police has been reinforced to deal with the number of violent crime cases more quickly.
“This approach is paying off: investigations are progressing and the number of arrests is increasing,” said spokesperson Olivier Schotte. Regular consultations are also taking place between the federal and local security services, he declared.
"Investigations are progressing and the number of arrests is increasing"
However, to be fully effective, these measures must be part of “a comprehensive, coherent and structural security strategy for the entire region,” stated Schotte. “That is the task of the mayors, the police chiefs and the regional authorities.” They can count on the support of the minister, he added.
Illustration © PHOTO JOHN THYS / AFP
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