“Last year there were approximately 100 vacancies at the West Flemish police zones in April, but 140 prospective inspectors and 44 prospective chief inspectors have been trained. With 234 vacancies at the end of 2023, the situation has certainly not improved,” says Himpe.
There are also vacancies in the fire brigade, but the professional frameworks of the four emergency zones have been filled. There are still vacancies among volunteers, “but that number is not alarming for the operational functioning of the fire brigade,” says Governor Decaluwé.