Law enforcement in Belgium

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Two vehicles of the Belgian police: Federal on the left (two orange stripes on the bonnet and a single one on the side) and local on the right (light blue stripes) Politie-Police, Federal & local of Belgium.jpg
Two vehicles of the Belgian police: Federal on the left (two orange stripes on the bonnet and a single one on the side) and local on the right (light blue stripes)

Law enforcement in Belgium is conducted by an integrated police service structured on the federal and local levels, made up of the Federal Police and the Local Police . Both forces are autonomous and subordinate to different authorities, but linked in regard to reciprocal support, recruitment, manpower mobility and common training. [1]

Contents

In 2001, the Belgian police underwent a fundamental structural reform that created this completely new police system. A Belgian parliamentary report into a series of pedophile murders accused the police of negligence, amateurism and incompetence in investigating the cases. The loss of public confidence in the police was so great that the whole population deemed the reform indispensable. [2]

The three former police forces, the municipal police, the national law enforcement service (Rijkswacht/Gendarmerie) and the judicial police (assigned to the offices of the public prosecutors) gave way to an integrated police service structured on two levels. [3]

Federal Police

Logo of the Belgian Federal Police (note the orange line) Captura de ecra 2022-06-16, as 15.28.24.png
Logo of the Belgian Federal Police (note the orange line)

The federal police (Dutch : Federale Politie; French : Police Fédérale; German : Föderale Polizei) is in charge of both specialized and supralocal law enforcement operations, patrolling and ensuring the safety of the country's highways and is specialized in criminal investigation operations. The force is also tasked with delivering support to the local police forces. The federal police consists of approximately 12,300 personnel members (civilian and operational staff).

The federal police is led by a general commissioner, a senior officer who holds the rank of chief superintendent. He or she heads the general commissioner's office. This office is responsible for management, strategy and policy of the federal police; ensuring the functioning of the integrated police (by coordinating with local police forces); coordinating and supporting the federal police units; internal and external communication and international cooperation. It is composed of the:

The directorate of international police cooperation (CGI) within this office is Belgium's national central bureau for the European Police Office (Europol), Schengen Information System and International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).

Falling under the authority of the General Commissioner's Office, are two operational and one non-operational general directorates:

Local police

French logo of the Belgian local police forces (note the light-blue line) Captura de ecra 2022-06-16, as 15.18.59.png
French logo of the Belgian local police forces (note the light-blue line)
A local police car in Nalinnes Police au Circuit de Wallonie 2019 a Nalinnes Belgique 15 (cropped).jpg
A local police car in Nalinnes
Local police officers (recognisable by the light blue lines on the left side of the uniform, as on the motorcycle) with the former US Secretary of State John Kerry. Kerry Poses with a Group of Belgian Motorcycle Officers who Provided Support for his Visit to a NATO Ministerial Meeting in Brussels (27153886895).jpg
Local police officers (recognisable by the light blue lines on the left side of the uniform, as on the motorcycle) with the former US Secretary of State John Kerry.

The local police (Dutch : Lokale Politie; French : Police Locale; German : Lokale Polizei) is made up of 185 police forces constituted from the former communal and gendarmerie brigades. 50 police forces cover the territory of one municipality (one-city zone) and 146 cover more than one municipality (multi-city zone). [4] The local police can be compared to municipal police forces.

Each local police chief is responsible for the execution of local law enforcement policy and ensures the management, organization and distribution of missions in the local police force. She or he works under the authority of the mayor in one-city zones, or under a police board composed of all the mayors from the different municipalities in a multi-city police zone.

Its philosophy envisions a global and integrated approach to security based on maximum visibility focusing police activities on a limited area, which should optimize contact between the police and the population. It aims to restore public confidence in the police force and of improve the objective and subjective feeling of security in communities.

Structure

Each police force consists of an operational cadre of police and auxiliary police plus civilian personnel for administrative and logistic work. At the moment, approximately 33,000 local police and 900 civilians work in the 188 regional police forces.

The numerical strength of the police is determined by the police board for multi-city zones or by the town council for one-city zones, which must match the minimal standards set by law. Also a Permanent Commission for the Local Police represents all local police services at national level and provides advice on all problems relating to the local police.

Missions

To guarantee a minimum service to the population, Belgian law provides six basic functions for the local police: Community policing, responsiveness, intervention, victim support, local criminal investigation and maintaining public order.

Police ranks

The Federal Police does not have a hierarchical relationship with the local police. Instead, there is a functional connection between the two entities. Both the Federal Police and local police are built up hierarchically, with the same ranks.

The rank insignia are rectangular plates that are worn on the left pocket flap of the uniform shirt, fleece, sweater, jacket, coat and/or bulletproof vest. On the right side pocket flap, a similar plate is worn, displaying the officer's name and a separating line with underneath the name of the force and/or unit the officer belongs to. In some cases (mostly commissioned officers) the function is displayed (e.g. "Commissioner-General"). Both plates have stylized lines on the outer corners depicting the force to which the police operative belongs. The lines are orange/red for the Federal Police; light blue for local police; and silver or gold for personnel of the General Inspection (depending on the rank of the personnel member).

The colour of the rank insignia and the officer's name, function/unit/force depends on the cadre the officer belongs to. Silver insignia and letters are used for all auxiliary, base and middle ranks (up to Chief Inspector), gold is used for all officer ranks.

Belgium

GroupOfficer levelMiddle-levelBase-level
Federal Police [5] EersteHCP FedPol.jpg CDP polfed.jpg EersteCP FedPol.jpg CP polfed.jpg ACP polfed.jpg EersteHINP FedPol.jpg INPP polfed.jpg AINPP polfed.jpg EersteINP FedPol.jpg INP polfed.jpg AINP polfed.jpg
Local police [5] ECDP polloc.jpg CDP polloc.jpg ECP polloc.jpg CP polloc.jpg ACP polloc.jpg EINPP polloc.jpg INPP polloc.jpg AINPP polloc.jpg EINP polloc.jpg INP polloc.jpg AINP polloc.jpg
TitleFirst chief commissioner
Eerste Hoofdcommissaris
Premier commissaire divisionnaire
Erste chefkomissar
Chief commissioner
Hoofdcommissaris
Commissaire divisionnaire
Chefkomissar
First commissioner
Eerste commissaris
Premier commissaire
Erste komissar
Commissioner
Commissaris
Commissaire
Komissar
Candidate commissioner
Aspirant-commissaris
Aspirant-commissaire
Aufstrebender komissar
First chief inspector
Eerste hoofdinspecteur
Premier inspecteur principal
Erste chefinspektor
Chief inspector
Hoofdinspecteur
Inspecteur principal
Chefinspektor
Candidate chief inspector
Aspirant-hoofdinspecteur
Aspirant-inspecteur principal
Aufstrebender chefinspektor
First inspector
Eerste inspecteur
Premier inspecteur
Erste inspektor
Inspector
Inspecteur
Inspecteur
Inspektor
Candidate inspector
Aspirant-inspecteur
Aspirant-inspecteur
Aufstrebender inspektor
GroupSecurity-levelAuxiliary-level
Federal Police [5] 1BCSP FedPol.jpg BCSP FedPol.jpg 1BASP FedPol.jpg BASP FedPol.jpg ABASP FedPol.jpg 1BAGP FedPol.jpg BAGP FedPol.jpg ABAGP FedPol.jpg EAP polfed.jpg AP polfed.jpg AAP polfed.jpg
Local police [5] N/A EAP polloc.jpg AP polloc.jpg AAP polloc.jpg
TitleFirst security coordinator
Eerste beveiligingscoördinator
Premier coordinateur de sécurisation de police
Erster Sicherungskoordinator der Polizei
Security coordinator
Beveiligingscoördinator
Coordinateur de sécurisation de police
Sicherungskoordinator der Polizei
First security assistant
Eerste beveiligingsassistent
Premier assistant de sécurisation de police
Erster Sicherungsassistent der Polizei
Security assistant
Beveiligingsassistent
Assistant de sécurisation de police
Sicherungsassistent der Polizei
Candidate security assistant
Aspirant-beveiligingsassistent
Aspirant assistant de sécurisation de police
Sicherungsassistent-Anwärter der Polizei
First security officer
Eerste beveiligingsagent
Premier agent de sécurisation de police
Erster Sicherungsbediensteter der Polizei
Security officer
Beveiligingsagent
Agent de sécurisation de police
Sicherungsbediensteter der Polizei
Candidate security officer
Aspirant-beveiligingsagent
Aspirant agent de sécurisation de police
Sicherungsbediensteter-Anwärter der Polizei
First (auxiliary) officer
Eerste agent
Premier agent
Erste agent
(Auxiliary) officer
Agent
Agent
Agent
Candidate (auxiliary) officer
Aspirant-agent
Aspirant-agent
Aufstrebender agent


Rank markings on helmets

When performing public order maintenance operations (e.g. demonstrations and riots), police personnel wear a helmet in situations with increased risk of violence. The helmets are white because that colour is easier to spot by cameras and police helicopters. The helmet is plain white for inspectors (rank equivalent to police officer/constable) who function as section members during public order operations. Chief-inspectors (who function as section chiefs) wear white helmets with one blue stripe running from back to front. Commissioners and chief-commissioners (who function as platoon commanders or even squadron commanders and group commanders) have two blue stripes.

Trivia

Some officers, often belonging to intervention units (patrol units), only wear the rank plate and not the name plate on their uniform whilst on duty. This is to prevent malevolent persons from identifying and subsequently threatening or harassing them as a revenge for being the subject of police operations. This is more common in urban areas than in rural (calmer) areas.

See also

Historical:

Crime:

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References

  1. "Policing Profiles of Participating and Partner States". OSCE. Archived from the original on 2016-05-17. Retrieved 2009-03-16.
  2. "Belgium to reform police". BBC News. 1998-05-24. Retrieved 2009-03-16.
  3. "The integrated police: who does what?". Police Fédérale. Retrieved 2009-03-16.
  4. "Policing Profiles of Participating and Partner States; Local Police". OSCE. Archived from the original on 2009-10-15. Retrieved 2009-03-16.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Herkenningspunten van de politie". politie.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 13 October 2020.

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