{"id":19139,"date":"2025-11-14T16:57:23","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T15:57:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/svjmedia.nl\/internationaljournalism\/?p=19139"},"modified":"2025-11-14T16:57:25","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T15:57:25","slug":"brussels-where-tourists-gather-pickpockets-follow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/svjmedia.nl\/internationaljournalism\/19139\/brussels-where-tourists-gather-pickpockets-follow\/","title":{"rendered":"Brussels: Where Tourists Gather, Pickpockets Follow"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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The streets around Manneken Pis and the Grand Place fill with tourists every year, creating a lively atmosphere that also attracts pickpockets, an age-old crime now targeting smartphones, wallets, and other personal belongings. After years of steady increases, petty crime in Brussels and other European capitals continues to rise.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Note: Petty thefts often go unreported, so actual numbers may be higher.<\/em><\/p>\n

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The Rise of the Quick Hands <\/strong><\/p>\n

The Federal Police\u2019s annual report, published last year, showed that petty crimes in Brussels continued to rise in 2023 compared to the year before, with pickpocketing increasing by almost 20 percent in the Brussels-Capital Region.<\/p>\n

Since the beginning of 2024, Brussels\u2019 local police specialists known as \u201cTrekkers\u201d, plainclothes officers dedicated to tracking and apprehending pickpockets, have caught 377 offenders in the act. Figures that were announced by Mayor Philippe Close during the last city council meeting before the installation of the new administration in 2024. Most of these incidents occurred in the central Pentagon area, the historic heart of Brussels defined by the five main boulevards encircling the city centre. Where narrow streets, tourist attractions, and bustling squares meet. As of now, no reliable or finalized figures are available for this year, leaving the current trend for this year unclear.<\/p>\n

Despite that these numbers are not jet published, the increase is being felt not just by the police, but also by local tourism services. \u201cWe see more and more tourists coming in visibly upset, saying they\u2019ve just been robbed and asking us to call the police because they don\u2019t know what to do,\u201d said an employee of Visit Brussels. \u201cMost of the time, they\u2019ve been robbed in the small streets surrounding the Grand Place.\u201d Visit Brussels office is located on the Grand Place itself, just steps away from where many of the incidents occur.<\/p>\n

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Trust and Urban Design<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Eric Corijn, professor of Urban Studies at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), the presence of minor crime in Brussels\u2019 busiest tourist areas is not unexpected. He notes that the combination of tourists and dense public spaces creates opportunities for crime. \u201cCrowded tourist places or public transport are also the places for pickpockets and also other forms of tourist traps like selling less qualitative merchandise or food.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The structure of Brussels\u2019 historic centre further shapes this dynamic. \u201cOf course density offers opportunities for pickpockets,\u201d Corijn explains, yet he emphasises that these older neighbourhoods are also what make the city appealing. \u201cThese older city centers with small streets are urban attractors for tourists. So \u2018modernizing\u2019 these urban areas for security reasons is not a good option.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than attempting to alter the city\u2019s historic fabric, Corijn points out that the foundation of public safety lies in building trust. \u201cSecurity in the public domain must create trust,\u201d he says. According to him, this is achieved through visible observation, such as police or guards, combined with social presence and well-designed public spaces that are clean, well-lit, and free of unnecessary obstacles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Tour<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Souvenir<\/figure>\n
Tour guides at the Grand Place, Brussels & Souvenir shop in a side street of the Grand Place.
Photos by: Chim\u00e8ne de Jonge<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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A European Pattern<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even do there is a increase in pickpocketing in Brussels the numbers are not much compared to other European capitals. According to official safety reports published by Censis, there where around 33 thousand cases of pickpocketing in Rome in 2024, a sharp 68 percent increase compared to 2019. This would be translated to nearly 100 pickpocketing incidents each day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In comparison, Barcelona also saw a rise in petty theft, with pickpocketing accounting for 48 percent of all reported crimes in 2023, as noted by the Barcelona City Council. Compared with the previous year, incidents increased by more then 6 percent. Following the return of tourists after COVID\u201119 restrictions, which had previously caused a sharp decline in street crimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the video below, Taro Roncal\u00e9s, founder of AdvenTours, shares how tour guides perceive Brussels\u2019 safety and witness its growth in petty crimes.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n