Sint-Agatha-Berchem (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Mayor Christian Lamouline extended the gathering ban in Sint-Agatha-Berchem until May 12th, 2025 due to 160 drug cases since mid-2023. Police patrol Moderne Wijk, fining violators up to €500.
The mayor of Sint-Agatha-Berchem, Belgium Christian Lamouline, has decided to keep a rule that stops groups of people from gathering in certain areas. This rule would end on March 9th, 2025 but now it will last until May 12th, 2025.
According to the rule, no more than 2 people can be together in the Ravotterijstraat, Samenwerkersplein, Victor Bourgeoissteeg, and a vacant lot near those streets. If people break the rule, they can be fined up to €500.
The mayor decided this because there have been many issues in these areas, such as individuals selling and using drugs. The police have witnessed approximately 160 instances of drug selling on the streets since the middle of 2023.
Why is Sint-Agatha-Berchem extending its gathering ban?
According to the officials, the Moderne Wijk has also had other problems, like loud noises, groups of young people staying out late, and things getting damaged, like a fire in an empty building. The mayor wants to make things better and stop things from getting worse.
They mentioned that to tell people about the rule, they gave out papers explaining that the rule would stay in place for a longer time and that it was meant to keep everyone safe. Some people are happy about the rule because they want their neighbourhood to be safe, but others wonder what will happen in the long run to fix the problems with young people and crime.
From February 5th to March 10th, 2025, there were 34 reports of people breaking the rules in the Moderne Wijk. 8 of these reports were about people not following the rules against gatherings. The other reports were about other things, like selling drugs.
The police are going to check people’s IDs in places where the rule against gatherings is in effect, like Ravotterijstraat, Samenwerkersplein, and Victor Bourgeoissteeg. They can stop people who they think are breaking the rules. Police mentioned that They are doing this to make the neighbourhood safer and stop people from selling drugs on the street.
