Eeklo (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Koen Loete, mayor of Eeklo and #TEAM9900 member, joins Belgium’s new 3-year Council of Mayors to help shape national safety laws, focusing on cybercrime, drugs, and traffic safety.
As VRT News reported, Koen Loete, the mayor of Eeklo and a member of the local group #TEAM9900, has been chosen to join the new Council of Mayors at Belgium’s Federal Ministry of the Interior. This new council was set up by the federal government to give local leaders a bigger role in shaping national safety laws.
Officials mentioned that the aim is to use ideas and knowledge from mayors to make rules that work better in real life. Mayor Loete says the council will talk about issues like cybercrime, drug problems, traffic safety, and payment fraud.
With this council, mayors from different parts of the country can share their views and give advice. They can suggest changes to laws based on what they see and deal with in their towns and cities.
How will Koen Loete’s new role improve safety in Eeklo?
According to officials, Loete has a lot of experience in the field of safety. He was chairman of the Police Zone Meetjesland Centrum for many years. In that job, he worked on many local safety projects. He knows well how rules from the federal level affect towns and cities.
He was also an advisor to former Minister of the Interior Pieter De Crem from CD&V. In that role, he got to see how national policy is made and could give his input. Loete says that his experience in both local and national work helps him in this new job. He believes this will help improve safety and police work even more.
The Federal Ministry of the Interior in Belgium mentioned that local mayors are chosen to serve for 3 years. They can stay longer if their work is useful. Koen Loete says it is not just a win for him but also his police and city team. Loete said. Loete hopes other towns can learn from Eeklo’s work. He wants to share good ideas from his city with others.
“I see it as recognition for the work of our police district, but also for the initiatives we have taken in Eeklo itself,”
Loete said.
According to Loete, the new role brings clear benefits for Eeklo. As a member of the council, Loete joins talks about safety rules and national plans. This gives Eeklo early access to new ideas and helps the city prepare faster. It also makes it easier to apply for money and start safety projects.
Loete says this helps the city act quicker and plan better. It also helps Eeklo follow the same goals as the country. He believes his work in the council can lead to real changes in Eeklo and nearby areas.
“It’s a chance to try new things in our town,”
He said.
