Belgium allocates nearly $30M to expand police CCTV network

Belgium's federal government has allocated nearly $30 million to expand and repair police CCTV networks across the country, with a significant share earmarked for Brussels and Antwerp as authorities seek to curb rising drug-related crime.

Interior Minister Bernard Quintin said the funding would strengthen law enforcement's ability to prevent and investigate crime, describing surveillance cameras as a key operational tool for police, VRT news reported on Tuesday.

"Cameras are the eyes of our law enforcement agencies. They make it possible to record incidents linked to insecurity and collect crucial data, for example, in the fight against both petty and serious crime," Quintin said.

Under the plan, Brussels and Antwerp will receive $8.8 million each, accounting for $17.6 million of the total package.

The city of Ghent will receive an additional $1.2 million, while Liege, Namur, Charleroi, and Mons will each be allocated about $1.2 million.

The remaining $5.9 million will be distributed among other police zones based on the size of their forces.

The newly purchased cameras will be connected to Belgium's existing Automatic Number Plate Recognition network, enabling all police zones to access and share collected data.

The federal government is also developing a new analytical tool aimed at improving the rapid detection of wanted vehicles.

The total allocation is $5.9 million higher than initially planned.