The Federal Judicial Police is a link in the security chain. This is the reason why we permanently strive for harmonisation with the other players on the security stage, for both general policy matters and concrete actions. We try to take the priorities established by the authorities into consideration, for instance by conceiving and carrying out projects and through a professional approach.

The strategic cycle

The approach to security problems is a common social responsibility..

Everybody must get involved in security : police, authorities, associations, private sector and, of course, the citizens. In this context, the Ministers of the Interior and Justice conclude an integral security framework agreement, which directs and coordinates, in a concerted way, the efforts to be made by the different ministries, which have to achieve the same objectives.

On this basis, but also on the basis of the general vision of the Integrated Police (Excellent Police Function), of the criminal situation, of different studies and analyses and of the advice and wishes of the different partners, the Federal Police draw up a National Security Plan (NSP). This plan must be approved by the Ministers and includes the priorities and objectives of the Integrated Police.

The National Security Plan establishes the priorities of the Integrated Police in their fight against criminal phenomena.

As members of the police, we have to tackle all security issues in an efficient way. As it is impossible, through lack of means, to deal with every issue with the same effi ciency, the competent authorities make socially founded choices. In this way, the National Security Plan establishes the priorities of the Integrated Police and of their many partners, at local, national and international levels, in their fight against criminal phenomena.

The National Security Plan is a reference guide for all police services. It must enable to carry out, implement, follow-up and thoroughly assess the measures taken within the framework of the struggle against security issues. The quality of those measures is permanently controlled and, if necessary, can be adapted. This takes place in a continuous cycle based on a well-recognized management model : the EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management) model.

Strategic plans, Programs and Projects

The Federal Judicial Police plan their activities on the basis of the National Security Plan.

At central level, the execution of the national security plan is translated into the drawing up and implementation of programs. At district level, the priorities are dealt with through projects. Such approach requires of course the permanent and concerted efforts of everyone involved, in order for them to reach the same final objective.

The programs drawn up within the central directorates concern all preventive and law enforcement activities related to the approach and follow-up of the security issues.

The in-depth approach to criminal phenomena requires unsparing efforts from all parties concerned. As far as programs are concerned, the development and geographical distribution of the phenomena are continuously examined (picture of the phenomenon) and the struggle methods are constantly improved. In this context, one must not lose sight of the international dimension of the phenomena.

Moreover, each program coordinates the approach to phenomena within the Integrated Police and provides for the support of the different police services on the field. It is therefore important to identify the way useful information is searched for, processed, kept and disseminated again. The communication with the general public, for instance in prevention matters, and the different achievements in the struggle against criminal organisations are to be taken into account as well.

The projects developed at district level aim at preventing, identifying, controlling and solving the problems arising in the district.

As far as the selection of the phenomena to be dealt with through a project approach at district level is concerned, the decentralised Judicial Directorates take the priorities of the National Security Plan, the policy of the Public Prosecutor in criminal matters, the nature of crime in the district and the objectives of the Zonal Security Plans into account.

The different projects are the result of the concerted efforts of the Judicial Director, the Administrative Coordinating Director, the Corps Chiefs of the district police zones and the Public Prosecutor. They optimize and harmonize the actions of the aforementioned authorities in order to limit the extent of criminal phenomena in the districts. Those projects take prevention, search for offences and victim assistance into consideration.

Every project results in action plans to be implemented for one to four years and which include several measures and activities that should enable to reach the different objectives. The specialised investigators help drawing up those action plans and are responsible for their implementation. The plans are continuously followed up and assessed in order to be corrected if necessary.

A Zonal Security Plan is drawn up in every Local Police zone. Those plans include the priorities of the National Security Plan as well as the different projects conceived in the district.

The police services working in a district have various missions and expectations. They harmonise their approaches to security issues, coordinate the struggle against crime and, if necessary, support each other.