According to Interior Minister Pieter De Crem there was enough police everywhere on the coast last weekend, but time was lost in Blankenberge to prevent riots.
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The Minister of the Interior, Pieter De Crem (CD&V), is in favor of a place ban for amok makers known to the police and the judiciary. Such a ban on space should apply to the entire coastline and, if necessary, other recreational areas. De Crem refers to the football law, where something similar happens with hooligans and football stadiums.
In addition, De Crem is committed to ensuring that ‘anyone known for criminal offenses’ must report to his home municipality during certain times of the year, such as during last weekend’s heat wave, so that police services can check whether they are complying with the ban on places. De Crem said this this morning in the Parliamentary Committee on the Interior.
After last weekend’s riots and incidents in Blankenberge, in which some fifty hot-headed people came to blows with the police, De Crem had to come and give an explanation in the parliamentary committee. Several MPs accused him of being absent and of leaving the coastal mayors to their fate. They wanted to know what agreements De Crem had made with the coastal mayors to support them in a large crowd and what he will do to prevent a repeat of last weekend’s riots.
De Crem bites off
“I am not impressed by the knowledge of some committee members about the police apparatus made available,” said De Crem. He pointed out that the Blankenberge local police had received assistance from other police forces and from the federal police and that the structural assistance from the federal police has never been greater than this summer.
‘To check the corona measures, at my suggestion forty inspectors from the federal police were seconded to the coast this summer, including nine to the West coast, five to Ostend, ten to Bredene-De Haan and five to Blankenberge. This reserve is called up by the local police forces in the event of incidents or unexpected crowds. That actually happened on Saturday. At no time has there been any mention of any shortage of deployable police officers. ‘ A reserve in Drongen was ready, but was not necessary.
Not smart of Blankenberge
De Crem then bounced the ball back to Blankenberge, which he believed could have done more through smarter beach management. ‘Blankenberge has a rather narrow and short coastline. Half of this was issued in a private concession. At high tide, therefore, there is hardly any space available for beachgoers who do not rent a beach chair or cannot go to a beach bar. This requires a very specific approach in which the local government must ensure that there are not too many beachgoers present. If necessary, access to the beach must be regulated or the beach must be evacuated in good time. That did not happen. ‘
‘According to my information, there were already signals around 2 pm about possible problems with young people. In the end only occurred at 5.30 pm. So time was lost. The amok makers could also be intercepted or checked on arrival or in the streets of Blankenberge for gathering and potential alcohol abuse. That did not happen either. ‘
According to De Crem, a closure of the train stations, as suggested by some coastal mayors, would be ‘out of all proportion’ and punish the ordinary day tourist. “For many of us, day tourists are not day terrorists.”
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