About half of the intervention team of the local police of the Brussels-South zone submitted a sick note on Monday morning. They do that to protest against the long shifts they have to work. There is a meeting on Tuesday.
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Chief of police Jurgen De Landsheer introduced a new work arrangement on 1 April. 12 hour shifts instead of 10 hours. The intervention service, which is called in for everything, also has to make do with fewer people. ‘The officers are tired and overworked’, says NSPV chairman Mario Thys now.
When Jurgen De Landsheer was sworn in as chief constable of the South zone (Anderlecht, Sint-Gillis and Vorst) a year ago, he promised to make it a real corps again. He received mostly positive reactions. A lot has changed in the meantime. But within the force, support for their chief of police has also fallen to a low point.
Since April 1, agents of the intervention service have been working in shifts of 12 hours, instead of 10 hours. Instead of three teams taking turns, you only need two, the new chief of police reasons.
Not feasible
Agents gave the new system a chance, but now say it’s no longer viable.
A member of the intervention service said anonymously on VTM Nieuws on Monday evening that there are too few people to carry out some interventions according to the book. The zone has a number of neighborhoods where young people pelt police cars and officers are regularly attacked. Sometimes agents are in danger.
The unions will meet on Tuesday with chief of police De Landsheer and mayor of Sint-Gillis Charles Picqué, who is chairman of the police council, to find a solution.
Chief of police Jurgen De Landsheer says that the police schools cannot follow to train enough young officers.
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