In a meeting in Middelkerke, a significant delegation from the police force discussed the challenges of a busy summer. Despite the support of the Federal Police, the pressure on the local force increases steadily during the summer months. An additional stressor and bad trend is the rapidly increasing violence against police officers.
Traditionally, summer is the busiest time for the Middelkerke police force. In addition to the administrative work and supervision of numerous events, the number of calls and interventions also increases significantly during this period. Kris Daels, commissioner and deputy chief of police in Middelkerke, calculated the interventions of his force during July and August: “We recorded 3,073 calls, which amounts to an average of 50 calls per day. This resulted in 2,245 interventions, or an average of 36 per day. Considering the modest force with a complement of 89 officers, this is a particularly intense deployment. Fortunately, the force can count on support from federal colleagues to get through the summer,” says Commissioner Daels.
A deeper analysis of the nature of the interventions reveals five main problems. “Firstly, there are 74 reports of thefts, ranging from simple thefts to home burglaries and bicycle thefts. Secondly, there are 37 cases of cybercrime, indicating a worrying trend of digital crime. Public drunkenness comes in third place with 32 incidents, followed by drug-related offenses with 30 reports, of which 23 for drug possession and 7 for drug trafficking. Intentional assault and battery is the fifth biggest challenge, with 26 cases, 9 of which are related to domestic violence,” the Commissioner said.
The local authorities praise the efforts and efficiency of the police force during this busy summer. Commissioner Kris Daels emphasizes that the focus on efficiency and expertise has increased in recent years, with specific training for all corps members. These efforts have led to better responses to specific problems, such as tackling drug nuisance in traffic.
Rising violence
It is clear to Mayor Dedecker. “We continue to invest in our police force. About 11 million euros per year. After all, our society is changing so quickly. Problem behavior now requires a different approach. The time when everyone recognizes the authority of a uniform is over. Our officers now also have to take into account changing behavior towards law enforcement and authorities in general. Unfortunately, we are also seeing more and more violence against the police. Also here in Middelkerke,” says Dedecker.
It is no coincidence that violence against police officers was explicitly on the agenda of this meeting. Kris Daels immediately steps in with a worrying figure. “Last year we recorded 8 cases of intentional assault and battery against colleagues within our zone in one calendar year. Now we’re matching that number and it’s only September. Internally, we are doing everything we can to support the affected colleagues. We provide administrative, psychological and legal assistance. We do what we can, but that is actually not enough. We must continue to raise this issue in the hope that the competent authorities will quickly take concrete actions to better protect our officers.”
Information platforms
Several representatives from the magistracy and the federal level were also present and noted that the Middelkerke police zone is doing an excellent job. Prosecutor Yves Segaert-Vanden Bussche indicated that cases of violence against the police are now immediately handled by the Kortrijk public prosecutor’s office in the hope that these cases will be prosecuted faster and more adequately. Kurt Desoete and Kurt Vermeersch of the federal police noticed from the figures that “As a small force, Middelkerke is able to hold its own against the growing administrative pressure and other administrative challenges. The federal level continues to support local forces with, among other things, better information platforms.”
‘F*** you cop’
It is therefore an illusion that violence against police officers only occurs in metropolitan areas. Vincent Houssin, well-known trade union representative, wrote a compelling book about this together with Vincent Gilles F*** you cop. They collected testimonies from officers who are confronted with violence during their job. As a token of gratitude for their efforts, each member of the force received a copy of the book. (Peter Germonprez)