Troublemakers in the seaside resort of Ostend may now be made subject to exclusion orders on busy summer days. This means they will be barred from entering certain parts of the city for a period of time. The past few weekends have been very busy in Ostend, with troublemakers marring the pleasure of ordinary fun-loving folk.
Over the past two weekends, Ostend attracted more than 350,000 visitors. “For most people, it was a lovely experience, but we are now taking measures against a small group,” says Ostend Mayor John Crombez.
‘Anyone involved in fights or serious vandalism may be banned from entering part of the city. This applies to people who spoil the atmosphere for everyone. If they breach the exclusion order, we will arrest them.’
Not banned from the entire city
The exclusion order does not apply to the entire territory of Ostend. ‘That’s not feasible. We are focusing primarily on the old historic centre: the area from the station, along the marina to the Kursaal and the seafront. But we are assessing each case individually. We already have exclusion orders that apply only to the nightlife district.’
‘A ban starts from one month but is renewable. In serious cases, it can last the entire summer period,’ says Crombez.
“Don’t underestimate our police” says mayor.
Identification of culprits remains a difficult challenge and doesn’t make enforcing a ban easy. But Mayor Crombez insists he can bank on a splendid local police force: “They are exceptionally good at enforcement. The hardest part comes before that: identifying the troublemakers. This requires clear footage, from bodycams or other cameras, showing unacceptable behaviour.”
Not just youngsters from Brussels
The process of identifying those who caused trouble over the past few weekends is still ongoing. But Crombez qualifies the impression that this is solely about young people from Brussels travelling to the coast by rail.
‘That image is often created on social media, but it is incorrect to limit it to that,’ he says. ‘That was also clear in the case of the assault on the coastal tram in De Haan. But anyway, for us it is important that we identify the troublemakers, whoever they may be. Only then can we take action.’