Jessica Hoste Municipal Security

New prevention and security functions in the public area Community Wardens

Content of presentation Evolution prevention and safety functions Belgium Workshop prevention and safety functions Europe

Evolution prevention and safety functions Belgium Context development security and prevention functions in the public area Consequences developments Strategy: community wardens Structural framework Conclusion

Proliferation of new prevention and safety functions in the public area ’90: security central as a social theme: Emphasis on increasing the social cohesion and the security feeling Prevention as an instrument gains significance Responsibility tackling insecurity with the local administrations

Development local security policy Each municipality/city: own phenomena – own priorities = own way to fill in definition security + method identification of 211 non-police public prevention and safety functions at the local level

Common characteristic Core task: functional surveillance public domain  sensitizing visitors reduction feelings of insecurity

Filling-in functions - The local government determines all Filling-in of the tasks of the function name function = tasks ≠ names ≠ tasks = names uniform employment conditions

Consequence Confusion

Consequence Lack of clarity Lack of clarity filling-in of the tasks and framework public prevention and safety functions: Possible overlap tasks regulated functions, e.g. private security, police Precarious statute – bottom of the food chain

Strategy: streamline Community Wardens

Community Wardens Aim Law Uniformity - coherence - clarity 1 name 1 uniform Definition range of duties - competences Explicit embedding local administration More visibility and clarity for population Clear distinction with tasks and competences police and private security Definition cooperation with police and private security

Community Wardens Aim Law Professionalization Employment conditions Practice conditions Training

Embedding local administration Recruitment by local administration  insertion organization chart municipality  city Local administration responsible for coordination and control missions Cooperation police: written agreement OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT COMPETENCE LOCAL ADMINISTRATION

Community Wardens Conclusion Evolution proliferation  streamlined entity with well-founded view: tasks competences = CRITERIA recruitment and framework DEPLOYMENT CW Local government still determines approach concerning security allows custom-made policy in compliance with criteria

Community Wardens Conclusion  Recognition preventive surveillance functions at local level as full partner in local security policy

Workshop prevention and safety functions Europe Different approaches on filling-in local prevention and safety functions in Europe: Emphasis functions: balancing between social prevention and repression Different tasks Different statues: professional - volunteer Uniform - no uniform

Panel of experts and their best practices Republic of Lithuania: Police Supporters The Netherlands: Special Investigative Officers (BOA’s) Denmark: Night Owls Belgium: Community Wardens

Debate (or battle) experts Prevention and safety workers: Is their impact on social cohesion real? Are they the helpers of police? Is their competition with the private security? Volunteer or professional?