However, the immediate collection procedure faces several pitfalls, according to Olivier Mauen, spokesperson for the Neutral Union for the Independent (SNI). “We do not understand why we reinvented the wheel when this system already worked very well in the Netherlands where the collection amount was paid directly to the merchant, he explains. However, in Belgium, the merchant only receives the amount of the stolen item without any other compensation even in the event of a broken window. We are asking for greater compensation for the merchant because, of course, the stolen item is returned to him, but he must file a complaint, neutralize the thief while waiting for the police to arrive even though he is not authorized to do so. This causes a significant waste of time.” he adds.
Legal vagueness
He also points out a legal vagueness in the measure. “If the flagrante delicto is proven, the merchant does not, however, have the right to search the thief or his bag. Only the police and Securitas-style security agents are authorized to do so. The merchant can just indicate to the thief: ‘wait until the police arrive but the risk of him fleeing or rebelling is real’he adds.
In addition, there is an increase in violence from thieves caught in the act. Last May, a security guard was stabbed in the stomach in the Mediamarkt store on rue Neuve. The security check following an attempted theft had gone wrong. “We have been alerting politicians to real security problems for years. It’s not just a feeling. There is a lack of police presence in this commercial artery which attracts around 15,000 people every day“, castigated Quentin Huet, manager of the traders’ association, in our columns following this tragedy.
