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?