BOLIMA, JAYSHEIL C.

II BRAVO

POLICING SYSTEM OF BELGIUM

1. Historical Background
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.
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.
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

The federal police (Dutch: Federale Politie; French: Police

Fédérale; German: Föderale Polizei) is in charge of both specialized and
supralocal law enforcement operations and specialized 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 local police (Dutch: Lokale Politie; French: Police Locale; German: Lokale
Polizei) is made up of 188 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.

2. Powers And Function

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.

 Community policing consists of developing neighborhood relations and

maintaining police visibility. This mission is not merely one of maintaining a
physical presence but also of local dialogue, exchange of ideas and personal
relationships. The norms call for at least 1 community officer per 4,000
inhabitants.
 Responsiveness means giving answers to citizens who appear in person,
call by phone or write to the police. Sometimes they are directed to an
internal service or a more suitable external service. Each police zone
maintains a permanent point of contact. In the multi-city-zones, each city or
municipality has its own police-post which, if not accessible 24 hours a day,
gives citizens the opportunity to get in touch with the police.
 The intervention function consists of responding to all calls, where police
intervention is needed, within an appropriate time. This response can be,
depending on the case and the context (seriousness, necessity, circumstances),
immediate or delayed; in this last case, the inquirer must be informed about
the cause of the delay and the duration.
 The victims unit gives assistance to victims of crime. Each police officer is
expected to give victim support. In serious cases, the police force may use a
police officer specially trained to handle victims.
 The local criminal investigation unit supports local police in the
investigation of local crime. In each local police force, about 7 to 10 percent of
the force’s personnel work for the investigations division.
 Maintaining public order means protecting or, when necessary, restoring
public order, security and public health. This not only means maintaining
public order at large events such as demonstrations, football matches or local
festivities but also environmental problems and traffic.

3. Miscellaneous Police Service

Miscellaneous police forces, mostly having their foundations in older legislation
or common law. These are responsible for policing specific local areas or
activities, such as ports and parks. Before the passing of recent legislation such
as the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005, they were often referred to
as 'special police forces'; care must therefore be taken in interpreting historical
use of that phrase. These constabularies are not within the scope of the
legislation applicable to the previously-mentioned organisations but can still be
the subject of statutes applicable to, for example, docks, harbours or railways.
Until the passing of Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003, the British
Transport Police was such a force.
The majority of law enforcement in the United Kingdom is carried out by
territorial police forces that police the general public and their activities. The
other types of agencies are concerned with policing of more specific matters.

Over the centuries there has been a wide variation in the number of police forces
in the United Kingdom, with a large number now no longer in existence.

4. Organizational Structure

The Federal Police is commanded by General Commissioner (CG) Marc De

Mesmaeker , who holds the rank of chief commissioner. He's is in charge of the
General Commissioner's Office on which three general directorates depend: the
General directorate of the administrative police (DGA), the General directorate
of the judicial police (DGJ) and the General directorate of resources and
information (DGR). Each general directorate is led by a general director (DG),
also holding the rank of chief commissioner.

5. Recruitment And Selection

The police play different roles in our society and they are all equally essential. We
are therefore constantly looking for colleagues with the most varied background.
We need not only police officers (from agent to commissioner), but also
supportive civilian staff such as computer scientists, accountants, doctors,
technicians and other specialists.

The Federal Police (Dutch: Federale Politie; French: Police Fédérale) carries out
specialized and supra-local administrative and judicial police operations, and
supports both local and federal police services and units. The Federal Police has
approximately 12,300 officers and civilian personnel.

6. Educational And Training

Police officers hold at least a high school diploma, and have received police
academy training. Most training programs have age and fitness requirements
that are specific to local, state or federal law enforcement agencies. Learn more
about the training requirements for becoming a police officer and about career
opportunities in this field.

Essential Information
Police officers are professionals tasked with the responsibility of enforcing laws.
Individuals interested in law enforcement careers must fulfill minimum
education and training requirements including completion of a police academy
program.
Educational Requirements
The education requirements of a police officer aren’t that much as mentioned
before. In most instances, they only need a high school diploma. However,
sometimes, a minimum of two years of college course completion is necessary.
This indicates that a diploma or two-year degree is enough. In the event that
you’re looking to enter another division like cyber-crime or forensics, you may
need to have a more advanced education. Getting placed at the government level
necessitates that you have a four-year college certificate. You will undergo a
written exam preceding entry into the police academy. This will mainly focus on
principles, the knowledge you amassed in high school, and general knowledge.

7. Personnel Strength

Each police force consists of an operational cadre of police and auxiliary police
plus civilian personnel for administrative and logistic work. At the moment,
approx. 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.

8. Ranks Classification
 The ranks of the Federal Police are the
same as those in use in local police
forces. The ranks currently are civic, as
opposed to the paramilitary ranks that
were in use in the former Belgian
Rijkswacht/Gendarmerie, which was
the Federal Police's main predecessor.
This was chosen during the 1998–2001
reformation of the Belgian police forces
to emphasize the change to a less
militaristic police force, because
paramilitary traits were considered less
transparent as well as less
approachable and thus less desirable.

The difference between local police and

the Federal Police is shown by the different colors of the styling lines (orange for
the Federal Police and light blue for local police) on the insignia, which are worn
on the left chest pocket flap. Officers of both entities are hierarchically equal.
Auxiliary officers are rather rare within the Federal Police and can mainly be
found in the Air Police where they are deployed for traffic control at the Belgian
airports.

Highest commissioned rank

Hoofdcommissaris / commissaire divisionnaire (chief commissioner)
Commissioned rank
Commissaris / commissaire (commissioner)
Senior non-commissioned rank
Hoofdinspecteur / inspecteur principal (chief inspector/superintendent)
Non-commissioned rank
Inspecteur / inspecteur (inspector, equivalent to constable or officer)
Auxiliary rank
Agent van politie / agent de police (auxiliary officer)

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.

9. Uniform Regulations
10. Firearms And Equipment

Nightstick Baton Smith and Wesson M&P Pistol

Belgium Uzi

11. Use Of Information And Technology

Wim Liekens- (IT) Belgian Federal Police

As the son of a field police officer, I grew up with firsthand knowledge of how
teamwork and tools go together to facilitate great police work. In my 25 years as
a police officer and 17 years at the Belgian Federal Police, I’ve worked with our IT
team to help create a safer society for the 11.4 million people who live in Belgium
and a more secure workplace for our 55,000 employees. Since 2015, we have
been building a modern, efficient work environment for police officers through
digital tools that support collaboration. Today, more than ever, our police
officers depend on secure, mobile access to good information and the ability to
share that information to solve crimes.
 We chose Microsoft 365 E3 to support our workplace modernization journey.
A unified Microsoft cloud platform delivers strategic value for a police
organization because it creates a sustainable, agile, and highly secure workplace
culture. As we take a leadership role in our journey to the cloud, we’re using
Microsoft 365 tools to improve collaboration—and help solve crimes in the
process.
To support this modern, cloud-based workplace, we need to protect our
environment in a new way. The move to a solid, highly secure IT environment
was a big factor in our decision to adopt Microsoft 365. We feel that Microsoft
meets the complex security and compliance needs of a national police service.
With Enterprise Mobility + Security, we have the tools to improve our security
posture and keep us aligned with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
requirements. Today, police officers carry smartphones and mobile devices
loaded with proprietary police applications, and we use Microsoft Intune to
manage 5,000 devices. We’ve deployed Azure Active Directory Premium Plan 1
for conditional multifactor authentication and access and identity management.
In addition to our other cybersecurity protection measures, we also use Microsoft
Advanced Threat Analytics to mitigate the risk of cyberattacks. We retain control
of security and access to information through this combination of authentication,
device management, and authorization services. Additionally, we’re speeding up
our national deployment on Windows 10, so 55,000 employees will soon benefit
from having Windows Defender Antivirus on their devices.
As the Belgian police rise to the challenge of digital transformation, we are
confident that we have the tools to promote teamwork in a highly secure modern
environment. And we’re in a better position to fulfill our responsibilities to
citizens who expect us to solve crimes faster and our services to adapt to the
digital world. The future of our force lies in the interconnection between police
officers and the citizens they serve—we are ready.

12. Communications And Network

Efficient transfer of high volume of data, including video and images, from
mobile (manned or unmanned) platforms to end users, and vice versa from
operations centres to field assets Ergonomic and user-friendly wireless mobile
communication tools Interconnection of secure communication networks of
border guard authorities in neighbouring countries Access control:
authentication of documents, people and vehiclesDeception detection Detection
of both large and small (fast) boats in maritime environment Detection of people
attempting to enter illegallyPsycho-physiological and behavioural detection of
riskSmall and wide land area intruder detection Verification of document
authenticity Intelligence-based risk assessment, threat classification and
vulnerability assessment models Real-time and near real-time text/data mining
methods for processing vast amount of heterogeneous dataTechniques for
data/information fusion (text, video, images, etc.) in real or close to real
timeTrend analysis, pattern detection, cross-analysis of databases, optimisation
analysisUtilisation of new sources of information for intelligence gathering and
situational awareness (blogs, micro- blogs, forums, deep web, other social media)
Collaboration across cultures, or the effects of culture on information
sharingIntegrated visa/immigration facilities control systemsInteroperability for
information exchange: protocols, schemes, ontologies, topologies, semantic
translations and common definitions of contentPlatforms and systems for secure
exchange of informationTechniques to facilitate the exchange of information
between non interoperable information systemsAssessment of user
acceptanceData protection, Fundamental Rights and Social Impact related to the
use of technologies at the borderErgonomic impacts of use of technology at the
borderHuman-system optimisationMethods for diffusing and integrating new
technologyModelling and simulation capabilities for border control (virtual
environments)

13. Mobility And Transportation

14. Forensic Science Service

Eurofins Forensics Belgium is a multidisciplinary lab utilising many different

analytical techniques. While the forensic team is usually involved in work for the
police, the coroner and the criminal law courts, the counter analyses of
biopharmaceuticals or control of agricultural products and environmental waste
are also aspects of forensic toxicological work.

Our team consists of specialists who are the best in their field and always
up-to-date on national and European regulations.

Services:

Analytical toxicology in body fluids and tissues (gases, solvents, medicines and
drugs, pesticides, heavy metals, toxins), toxicokinetics, DNA genotyping (STR
and sequencing), kinship and paternity testing, arson analysis, drugs prone to
abuse, drowning analysis, risk analysis (REACH), and legal testimony.

15. Police Accountability

The Belgian police is structured on two levels: the Federal Police and the Local
Police. Although both levels are autonomous, they cooperate to perform an
integrated police function. The Federal Police comprises three general
directorates: the General Directorate of Administrative Police, the General
Directorate of Judicial Police and the General Directorate of Support and
Management. The Federal Police carries out missions within its sphere of activity
throughout the whole territory of Belgium as well judicial and administrative
tasks in special fields or in fields falling outside the competence of the Local
Police forces. It is also in charge of providing a wide range of operational and
other support for the Local Police forces. Finally, the Federal Police represents
all the Belgian police services within the framework of international police
cooperation.
 16. Disciplinary Machinery

The majority of law enforcement in the United Kingdom is carried out by

territorial police forces that police the general public and their activities. The
other types of agencies are concerned with policing of more specific matters.

Over the centuries there has been a wide variation in the number of police forces
in the United Kingdom, with a large number now no longer in existence.

17. Comparative Models of Policing

BELGIUM PHILIPPINES AFGHANISTAN

Org. Name Belgian Federal Philippine National Afghan National

Police Police Police

Police Force Of The Department Of National

Kingdom Of Interior And Local Directorate Of
Agency Name
Belgium Government Security

Entrance Age 18-21 Yrs Old 21-30 Yrs Old 18 Yrs Old Above

Retirement Age 60-65 Yrs Old After 60 Yrs Old After 35 65 Yrs Old
35 Yrs Of Service Yrs Of Active
Serving

Minimum Rank Auxiliary Officer Patrolman/Woman Patrolman

Highest Rank Commissionaire Police General Lieutenant General

Officer

Minimum Two Years Of Natural Born Afghan Citizen

Qualification College Course Filipino Citizen

UNIQUENESS
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 subject of police operations. This is more
common in urban areas than in rural (calmer) areas.