HSSD immersion at the heart of the Belgian integrated police

As part of their training programme, auditors from the High Studies for Security and Defence (HSSD) had the opportunity to discover the inner workings of the integrated police in Belgium. This visit, rich in operational and strategic content, offered a unique insight into the realities on the ground, from national coordination to specialised interventions.

A day structured around expertise and action

The day began at the Belgian federal police administration centre (RAC building) with a welcome speech followed by two founding presentations:

• an introduction to the organisation and missions of the federal police by its Director General Wald Thielemans,
• a presentation on the local police by Michel Goovaerts, Chief of the Brussels-Ixelles police zone.

These presentations provided an insight into the complementary roles of the integrated police’s two pillars and how they work together.

Focus on Sky ECC and the fight against organised crime

The morning continued with two particularly noteworthy presentations.

The first was a detailed presentation on the Sky ECC case, an encrypted communication network widely used by organised crime. The auditors were taught about the lessons learned by the investigative services and the major impact of this operation on the Belgian and European criminal landscape.

On the other hand, a concrete case of the fight against organised crime was shared, illustrating the investigation and arrest strategies, as well as the importance of collaboration between specialised services.

These sequences highlighted the complexity of contemporary threats and the need for police tools to be constantly adapted.

An impressive demonstration of capabilities

The afternoon took place at the Geruzet barracks, where auditors watched a series of dynamic demonstrations.
Highlights included:

• a presentation of law enforcement equipment,
• a demonstration of a water cannon in action,
• a canine intervention (PolBru),
• a tactical extraction operation carried out by a specialised unit.

These demonstrations provided a concrete insight into the professionalism, rigour and coordination that characterise the integrated police force’s operations.

A Police-Defence partnership in the service of national security

The visit highlighted the synergies between the police and Defence forces. It is fully in line with the mission of the HSSD: to train decision-makers capable of understanding security issues in their entirety, at the crossroads of strategy, operations and inter-service cooperation.

📌 Find out more

The HSSD, organised by the Royal Higher Institute for Defence (RHID), train auditors from the civil and military sectors every year. Would you like to find out more about our other seminars? Discover all our articles on this subject here Session 2024-2025.