These extra forces are mainly needed on tropical days, then Jan Maertens from the local police zone: “In the summer our population doubles or triples. On warm, sunny days we see the number of interventions rising to five times.”
In Blankenberge, they are traditionally the busiest months of the year, and not just for hospitality and hotels. The police also receive more reports of accidents, family conflicts, drunk people and upsaws.
Thomas Collewaert, inspector at the East Flanders intervention corps, is one of the four that the local colleagues are talking: “It is completely different from what I do in East Flanders. I work mainly for football matches and demonstrations. This is again about classic interventions. That makes it fascinating.