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Private security company starts work at Brussels courthouse

A private security company has started work at the Brussels Courthouse. The deployment of private security guards was necessary due to staff shortages. The security guards will take over some of the tasks currently carried out by the courts own security staff. They will carry out security checks at the entrance to the court building. This should make it possible for the court’s own security staff to concentrate on bring from their cells to court.
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The 114-person strong court security team is dogged with problems such as staff shortages, a lack of funding and poor organisation.

This has resulted in trial having to be postponed as suspect could be brought to the courtroom. The number of incidents at the courthouse has increased still further since the terrorist threat level was raised in January.

On more than one occasion there were no security checks at the entrance to the court and last week the court was closed to the public for a whole day as there were no security staff available to carry out security checks on those entering the court building.

At a crisis meeting held last week, the Federal Justice Department decided to use private security guards to carry out security checks at the entrance to the court. After consultations with the unions that represent the court’s own security staff, it was decided that the private security guards should start work from today.
 

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