Molenbeek (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Acting Molenbeek mayor Saliha Raiss (Vooruit) urges stronger federal action after a shooting on Waterpasstraat. She and Jef Van Damme want lasting safety plans against Brussels’ drug violence.
As GVA News reported, Saliha Raiss, acting mayor of Molenbeek and member of Vooruit, is asking the federal government for stronger help against drug violence in Brussels. She spoke out after a shooting on Waterpasstraat, where 3 people fired shots at each other on Wednesday, Aug 6, 2025.
Police and local staff are now watching certain streets more closely. Extra officers, guards, and mobile teams are on the ground. But Raiss says this is not enough. She believes the problem runs deep and needs more than quick actions. She wants lasting support from the federal level. Raiss says the people of Molenbeek should not be left to deal with this alone.
“These incidents aren’t isolated events: they’re interconnected and spread from one neighbourhood to another. What begins in Anderlecht ends in Molenbeek,”
Raiss denounces.
What is the Federal Government’s plan to end drug violence in Brussels?
Saliha Raiss says the federal government is not doing enough to stop drug violence in Brussels. She thinks short-term help and one-time actions are not working. She says they will not stop the criminal groups behind the violence.
“Brussels deserves better. Molenbeek deserves better,”
she said.
Raiss says more police are needed, but also more help for young people and schools. She wants the city and the federal government to work together. She says problems like poverty and youth crime must be tackled at the root. Raiss warns that the violence will grow if nothing is done.
“The violence continues in Anderlecht as well,”
Comer agrees.
“That remains particularly frightening for residents and for those who work in Anderlecht.”
Saliha Raiss, acting mayor of Molenbeek, and Jef Van Damme from Comer want the federal government to do more to stop drug violence in Brussels. They ask for better teamwork between the region and the federal level. They say the plan should not only focus on arrests but also on prevention and long-term safety.
Raiss and Van Damme think working alone will not solve the problem. They believe that bringing all 6 Brussels police zones together would help the police act faster and better. But they also want clear answers from the federal government about when this change will happen.
The office of Interior Minister Bernard Quintin says the federal government has been working for months to fight drug violence in Brussels. His spokesperson, Olivier Schotte, says local police now get help from federal brigades. The federal judicial police have also been strengthened to handle violent cases faster.
Schotte says this plan is working, with more arrests and better progress in investigations. He says federal and local police meet often to share information and plan together. But he also says these actions must be part of a bigger and long-term plan to fully stop drug crime in the city.
“A comprehensive, coherent, and structural security strategy for the entire region, says Schotte. That is the responsibility of the mayors, police chiefs, and regional authorities,”
Schotte adds.
An incident like this happened earlier this year in Molenbeek, where a house was hit by gunfire during the night. Police believe the shooting was linked to drug crime. In Schaerbeek, a grenade was thrown at a building, also connected to gang violence. In Anderlecht, cars were set on fire near places known for drug activity. Local leaders say they need more help from the federal government to stop these crimes.
