Sint-Niklaas (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Sint-Niklaas city council boosts staff safety after threats at Population Department. Mayor Lieve Dehandschutter plans training, stricter rules, CCTV, and police support following the Ghent OCMW social worker’s death.
As VRT News reported, the Sint-Niklaas city council is set to introduce new measures to protect its employees after a series of alarming incidents involving verbal and physical threats. Officials are considering a range of steps, including conflict de-escalation training, stricter access controls, escorting staff during certain visits, and enhancing overall security protocols.
Authorities state that the measures are intended to protect employees but allow people to continue accessing vital services. They added that the scenario is indicative of a larger issue for Belgian local governments, where workers usually encounter random and sometimes violent visitors.
“Not only in City Hall, but also in the district offices and the Welfare House, colleagues are regularly threatened,”
Staff say.
What is Sint-Niklaas doing to protect staff after the Ghent OCMW tragedy?
Mayor Lieve Dehandschutter of Sint-Niklaas (N-VA) said the city is aware of the safety concerns for municipal staff and has been in discussions with the unions for months.
“We are working on a complete safety protocol with clear rules and measures for staff who face aggression,”
Dehandschutter said.
He mentioned that the plan aims to give employees clear instructions on how to handle aggressive visitors and protect themselves while performing their duties. The city wants to ensure staff can work without fear and that any form of aggression is not accepted.
The mayor said,
“I have already issued written warnings to several visitors and in some cases even imposed bans on people who repeatedly overstepped the boundaries.”
Some safety measures are already in place. CCTV cameras have been installed in the city shop, located in the new wing of City Hall, to monitor interactions and prevent incidents. At the Welfare House, meeting rooms are designed so staff can exit through a back door if a visitor becomes aggressive, while the visitor stays inside. In serious cases, the police will be called immediately.
A recent case at the Population Department where a visitor came without an appointment and with incomplete documents. When the staff informed him they could not assist, he turned violent. He cursed and shouted at one of the female staff members. 3 colleagues had to be involved in calming him down before he eventually walked out of the building. Staff indicate that such episodes leave them in fear while performing their usual work.
In Ghent, a social worker from the Public Centre for Social Welfare (OCMW) was killed while on duty on Wednesday, Aug 13, 2025. Other cities, including Antwerp, Brussels, and Leuven, have also reported cases where staff were shouted at, insulted, or threatened by frustrated visitors.
Many of these incidents happen when people come without proper documents, have long wait times, or are upset about administrative rules. Local authorities are responding by adding security measures, training staff to handle aggression, and creating safety protocols to protect employees while they serve the public.
