Belgian interior minister Annelies Verlinden (Flemish Christian democrat) wants to reduce the number of police zones in Belgium. The zones were created when municipal forces merged to operate in larger areas.
Ms Verlinden wants 184 existing zones to be cut to 40 by 2030. She believes mergers will make the police more efficient: “The police need to be able to help citizens properly. That’s not always easy in small zones where there may be a lack of certain experts e.g., vice squad officers. My goal is to improve the quality of the police”. A special unit will now help zones to merge on a voluntary basis.