More burglaries in Walloon Brabant

2 March 2007

The public prosecutor’s office in Nivelles has witnessed a large increase in the number of burglaries and car thefts, a spokesman said during the annual press conference.

According to the prosecutor, Jean-Claude Elslander, the feeling of being unsafe is mostly aggravated by these two types of crime.

Car theft on public streets has decreased but car theft from private garages has increased significantly. The prosecutor dismissed the idea that organised crime was behind the increase, saying that these individuals go around neighbourhoods without a particular plan and choose the location of their next robbery based on what they see.

The number of incidents of armed robbery has also increased in Nivelle, 50 in 2006 compared to 36 in 2005. The usual targets have, however, changed and well secured banks and post offices have been left alone at the expense of small businesses and petrol stations.

Subject: Belgian news