Local safety and crisis management initiatives in Belgium and the Netherlands

In Oosterzele, Belgium, the Rhode & Schelde police zone will host an information evening on October 27, 2026, at the De Kluize community center. The event aims to introduce residents to the local neighborhood team and explain the function of Neighborhood Information Networks (BIN). Mayor Orville Cottenie emphasized that safety is a collective responsibility, inviting citizens to learn how they can personally contribute to a secure living environment through interactive engagement with local officers.

In the IJsselland region of the Netherlands, recruitment is underway for an Officer of Duty for Population Care (OvD-Bz) within the North-West cluster. This crisis management role involves coordinating emergency responses, including fire, police, and medical services, during incidents. The position is a part-time role requiring approximately 80 hours of annual training and participation in a 24/7 on-call rotation, requiring responders to be able to reach incident locations within 30 minutes.