In 2021 there were 459 judicial files against police officers, an increase of 6 percent compared to 2020, but significantly less than before the corona pandemic. This is reported in the latest annual report of the General Inspectorate of the Federal and Local Police.
In Flanders, the number of judicial files against police officers fell by 9 percent, but on the French-speaking side the number rose by 19 percent. Voluntary assault and battery investigations also increased by more than half.
The General Inspectorate and the Individual Investigations Department are responsible for handling complaints and declarations that are submitted. The investigators carry out investigative and judicial investigations on behalf of the judicial authorities.
Last year, the General Inspectorate counted 459 judicial files, compared to 434 in 2020 and 552 in 2019. “In 2020, the number of judicial files fell markedly,” the annual report reports. “After all, Covid-19 had an impact on the general police (and therefore also on our judicial) functioning.”
This is the result of “two long lockdowns including a ban on gatherings, a night clock, mandatory home working and thus new and Covid-19-related working arrangements with the judicial authorities” on the one hand, and “staff shortages” on the other hand, according to the supervisory body.
The number of administrative files against police officers remained the same at 485.
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