Belgium: police & security agencies
01 January 1991
Belgium: police & security agencies
bacdoc July=1995
The information in this country file was first published in the
handbook "Statewatching the new Europe" (November 1993). It was
compiled by Peter Klerks and extracted from a longer report which
is available from: The Domestic Security Research Foundation, PO
Box 11178, 1001 GD, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Belgium
30,510 km², 9,921,910 inhabitants
Long-form name: Kingdom of Belgium
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Brussels
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (French--provinces,
singular--province; Flemish--provincien, singular--provincie)
Constitution: 7 February 1831, last revised 8-9 August 1980; the
government is in the process of revising the Constitution, with
the aim of federalizing the Belgian state
Legal system: civil law system influenced by English
constitutional theory; judicial review of legislative acts;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, five deputy prime
ministers, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper
chamber or Senate (Flemish--Senaat, French--Senat) and a lower
chamber or Chamber of Representatives (Flemish--Kamer van
Volksvertegenwoordigers, French--Chambre des Representants)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Flemish--Hof van
Cassatie, French--Cour de Cassation)
I. POLICE STRUCTURE & forces
Total no. of police officers (1991 figures collected by the
European Network for Policewomen survey): total 32,691, Municipal
15,704, Gendarmerie 15,647, Judicial 1,340. No. of police
officers per 100,000. Women in the police (in percentage):
Municipal 4.2; Gendarmerie 0.2; Judicial 0.42 No of police
officers per 100,000 inhabitants: 330 (EC av. 338).
The Belgian police has been among the most expensive forces per
capita in Europe Since the second World War. After a long record
of substandard performance, archaic working methods and
corruption, it is currently undergoing sweeping reforms and rapid
modernisation and computerisation.
Gemeentepolitie ý Communal Police
Every community with at least 10,000 inhabitants can have its own
police force; consequently, Belgium has 589 formally independent
police forces, 334 municipal (towns and cities) and 256 rural,
headed by a mayor. The Communal Police normally initiates the
criminal investigation of a reported crime by informing the
public prosecutor. The latter decides, in consultation with the
investigating magistrate, whether further investigations are to
be carried out by the Communal or the Judicial police.
A 1992 ministerial paper discussed a greater role for the
Communal Police, decreasing its reliance on the Rijkswacht
(Gendarmerie) assistance. Efforts to increase trans-local
cooperation with the Gendarmerie still run up against traditional
local interests which obstruct modernisation and coordination.
Central government counters this by using the `power of the
purse' to ensure common standards are met.
Gerechtelijke Politie ý Police Judiciaire
This plainclothes judicial police service is being reorganised
from 22 independent brigades into one centralised organisation.
The 23rd Police Judiciaire Brigade in Brussels was set up in 1986
to combat terrorism, narcotics, and organised crime. The general
directorate of the Brussels Police Judiciaire operates the
Interpol NCB and the Schengen Information System national bureau.
Rijkswacht ý Gendarmerie
The Gendarmerie, traditionally a military police force, was
demilitarised in July 1991 and on 1 January 1992 became the joint
responsibility of the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of the
Interior. It has 427 stationary Brigades as well as Mobile
Groups, Territorial Groups and Traffic Units. Besides doing
criminal investigations, its detective units, the Bijzondere
Opsporings Brigade (BOB ý Special Investigations Brigade) also
carry out surveillance and mon