Belgium to deploy soldiers alongside police in Brussels under new security plan

BRUSSELS

Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin unveiled Saturday a new security strategy for major cities that foresees deploying soldiers alongside police in Brussels and strengthening surveillance systems, according to local media.

Quintin said the so-called "large cities plan," which will replace the current "canal plan," includes joint police-military patrols in the capital's most sensitive areas.

The initiative was agreed with Defense Minister Theo Francken and could later be extended to other cities on request, Belga news agency reported.

The plan, soon to be presented to the Council of Ministers, aims to step up the fight against organized crime linked to drug trafficking, which Quintin described as a higher priority than terrorism.

Key measures include intensified police operations in crime hotspots, an expansion of federal police support to local units, and a €20 million ($23 million) investment to modernize the network of video surveillance cameras in Brussels, Ghent, Antwerp, Mons, Charleroi, and Liege.

The minister also announced the reactivation of “fully integrated police actions,” or large-scale coordinated operations by federal and local police, to increase pressure on criminal networks.