Benelux, Police, Safety
Local, federal, Dutch and French police join forces to tackle public disturbances in Knokke-Heist
10 Jul. 2025
As is tradition each year, the local police of Damme/Knokke-Heist (BE) will once again collaborate over the next two weeks with the federal and Dutch police to efficiently address disturbances in nightlife areas. This cross-border cooperation is made possible by the Benelux Police Treaty. Since October 1, 2023, officers from the Benelux countries have been permitted, under certain conditions, to direct traffic, carry out identity checks, and escort individuals or groups in each of the three countries to ensure public order and safety.
New this year is that the local police will also receive support from two French police officers for two weeks.
Cooperation with federal and Dutch mounted police
The first “Dutch Week” kicks off on Saturday, July 12, 2025, as it is traditionally the time when many young people from Het Gooi and the Vecht region in the provinces of Utrecht and North Holland spend their holidays in Knokke-Heist. From Saturday night through the following Friday night, a youth inspector from the Dutch police, along with a Dutch-Belgian mounted patrol, will be visibly present on the streets each night. The mounted officers are easily approachable, highly visible, and ideally suited for preventive patrols in areas such as the beach, dunes, and cycling and walking paths.
Dutch-Belgian bicycle patrols
Starting Saturday, July 19, 2025, a second wave of young visitors is expected, this time from other parts of the Netherlands. For this, the local police will deploy mixed patrols of Belgian and Dutch bike officers—specialized cycling teams capable of quick and active intervention in nightlife areas. Since Dutch police have access to Dutch information databases, identifying youths can be done more efficiently. Moreover, local police have observed that Dutch youths tend to engage more readily in dialogue with Dutch officers, due to the familiarity of the Dutch police uniform. Just like last year, the Dutch officers will also actively and interactively use social media to maintain a virtual connection with the youth.
Assistance from French police
New this year is a two-week cooperation project with the French police to better address disturbances involving French nationals. Two French police officers will reinforce the local force from Monday, July 28 through Sunday, August 3, 2025, and again from Monday, August 11 through Sunday, August 17, 2025. By improving communication and enabling faster identification of this group, the local government hopes to further maintain safety, public order, and cleanliness.
