Police in Antwerp can now subject individuals known for public disorder to preventive arrests lasting up to 12 hours without requiring any new infraction at the time of the intervention, according to reports published on October 9.
Preventive Detention Rules in Northern Antwerp
The Antwerp police force established a specific list of individuals known to have caused public disturbances in the past. Under the new directive reported by Donatella Ruolo, officers in the city’s northern zone can detain these listed individuals for up to 12 hours. A key aspect of the protocol is that officers can execute the detention even if the targeted person commits no unlawful act during the actual police intervention.
While officials emphasize immediate relief for harassed neighborhoods, labor bodies and legal watchdogs warn that enforcement bypassing current infractions risks overstepping established civil liberties.
Mayor defends preventive detention amid neighborhood nuisances
Antwerp Mayor Els Van Doesburg defended the preventive detention policy by highlighting severe daily nuisances experienced by local families and children. According to the mayor, problematic individuals routinely use public spaces to relieve themselves, consume drugs, and make children’s playgrounds significantly less safe. Residents living near Saint-Jean square have voiced mounting anxieties regarding street safety, pointing to rampant panhandling and public drug use as ongoing community stressors.
Union Resistance and Legal Challenges
The administrative rollout has drawn severe pushback from both civil rights advocates and internal labor groups. The Human Rights League announced it will file a lawsuit against the measure, with President Kati Verstrepen acknowledging local safety challenges while emphasizing that solutions must operate strictly within a legal framework. Meanwhile, an internal memo issued by chef de corps Serge Muyters instructing Northern zone officers to utilize administrative arrests to the maximum extent has alarmed trade unions, as reported by Le Soir.
Union Ultimatum Over Legal Liability
Labor organizations including the SNPS and CGSP expressed profound alarm over the mandatory directives issued without prior consultation. The SNPS issued a request demanding legal clarity within five days or face a potential strike notice, questioning whether municipal employers will assume full legal responsibility if individuals launch lawsuits over wrongful detention. CGSP representative Sigi Claes warned in regional reporting that detaining individuals based on generalized stigmas sets a dangerous precedent for civil rights.
Antwerp police enforce twelve hour preventive detention
How long can individuals be held under the new Antwerp police measure?
Individuals known for past public disorder can be detained preventively for a maximum duration of 12 hours by Antwerp police.
Do individuals need to commit a crime during the arrest?
No, the particularity of this administrative measure is that police can make an arrest even when the targeted person commits no infraction at the moment of detention.
Which organization plans to file a lawsuit against the policy?
The Human Rights League, led by President Kati Verstrepen, has decided to launch legal action against the preventive detention directive.
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