Hoogstraten (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Hoogstraten will install security cameras at Den Dijk, near the PAX hall, and behind the Town Hall in Meerle to curb nighttime vandalism. This follows a 2023 fire, says Alderman Piet Van Bavel.
As VRT News reported, the city of Hoogstraten, in the province of Antwerp, Belgium, will place security cameras at several locations to improve safety and stop vandalism. The decision follows a fire at the youth centre behind the PAX hall 2 years ago, which caused major concern in the community.
Since then, acts of vandalism have continued in places such as Den Dík and behind the Town Hall in Meerle. City officials want to prevent further damage and protect public spaces.
“These are beautiful places where many of our city’s residents gather during the day. Unfortunately, there’s sometimes a lack of social control at night,”
says Alderman Van Bavel (Hoogstraten LEEFT).
What will new security cameras mean for safety in Hoogstraten and Herentals?
Alderman Van Bavel stated that the cameras will serve as “an extra set of eyes” to keep public places safe. He hopes the cameras will deter individuals from damaging city property and reduce repair costs.
The city of Herentals will soon install security cameras in several public areas to better serve safety and deter incidents. The first cameras will be placed near the city park, and the city plans to add cameras in the area surrounding the station where pedestrians frequently pass during the day.
City officials said they believe the move is not linked to a rise in the local incidence of vandalism, but rather increases residents’ sense of security. The cameras will allow authorities to observe busy and quiet settings while enabling a faster response should something happen.
Mayor Jan Bertels (Vooruit) said the plan focuses on preventing fear rather than crime.
“It’s not that there’s a lot of vandalism here,”
he said.
“For us, it’s more about the sense of insecurity that we want to eliminate.”
On the early morning of Sunday, September 10, 2023, a significant fire occurred in the former youth building on Dokter Versmissenstraat in Hoogstraten, near the Pax area. The fire broke out at around 7 a.m., when a pile of garbage located under an awning caught fire and quickly spread to the nearby empty classrooms. Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire, but one firefighter sustained injuries.
Els Delafaille of the Noorderkempen Police Zone indicated that a fire expert was called in by the Public Prosecutor’s Office; however, the reason for the fire was not confirmed at the time. The youth building had only recently been left empty, prior to youth groups KSA, KL, and Plussers all moving to their new premises at Den Dijk, which is also the location that held their official opening just the day before.
