Aalst (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The mayors of Aalst, Denderleeuw, Haaltert, Lede, and Erpe-Mere discussed a possible police zone merger. The Chiefs will assess police strength. Results will be shared in September 2025. No decision yet.
As VRT News reported, the mayors of Aalst, Denderleeuw, Haaltert, Lede, and Erpe-Mere met to talk about possibly combining their police forces. They met on Monday, 16, 2025, to discuss whether it would be a good idea to have one big police zone instead of several smaller ones.
This is only a first step to determine if this is feasible. Officials said if they merge, it would help with a more organised operation, better use of resources, and save money. But ultimately, it also requires sorting out how each town would get representation, how the finances would be allocated and how much of the operations each town manages.
What would a police merger mean for Aalst and 4 neighbouring towns?
According to officials, the meeting went well, and everyone was happy to keep talking about the police merger. No one made any firm decisions. Each mayor will now tell their local councils what happened and get their opinions.
The mayors said they had a good discussion and want to keep working together. They also agreed that they need to involve local leaders and take their time before making any big decisions about the police in the area.
The 5 mayors said they want to plan for the future and work together. They said they have to think ahead as local leaders. The mayors know that police departments face challenges like keeping the public safe, finding enough officers, and needing better ways to work.
They believe these issues can’t be solved alone. The mayors want to start talking about these problems now, so they don’t get worse. They’re open to changing how things are done to make the police better in the area.
To help with the merger idea, the police chiefs from the 3 areas will do a “police care power measurement.” This will check how well the police are working now, including their resources, staff, and ability to keep people safe.
The results will show if a merger would make things better and more efficient. The mayors and police chiefs will meet again in September 2025 to talk about these results. They mentioned that this meeting will be important for deciding if they should go ahead with the merger.
