After the reform of 2001, there are only two police forces:
The Federal Police
The Local Police
Gendarmerie/Rijkswacht
The Rijkswacht or Gendarmerie used dark blue vehicles in the past. The force changed to another vehicle look in the 1970s, to make their cars more visible:
white paint-job
striping: lengthwise red stripe.
side striping : one blue and one red line, logo & "Rijkswacht" or "Gendarmerie", SOS *number
Some of the most commonly used vehicles:
VW Transporter
Toyota Corolla
Citroën AX
VW Golf GTI
Opel Astra
Opel Astra Break
Peugeot 306 break
The patrol minivans were always equipped with Federal Smart Vector lightbars, while the smaller vehicles had basic rotating beacons on their roof. The Gendarmerie/Rijkswacht did use the same type of cars all over the country.
Police Communale/Gemeentelijke Politie
The Municipal Police initially used dark blue vehicles and changed, probably at the same time as the Rijkswacht/Gendarmerie, their vehicle exterior:
The consequence of the reformation was the usage of all new striping. The exterior of Local Police vehicles:
white paint-job
front- and rear-striping: two light blue lines on the right side of the bonnet and the boot
side-striping: three dark blue lines and one light blue line, covering the rear end on the left and the front end on the right
contour markings on every side of the vehicle
"Police or Politie or Polizei" and the integrated police logo on each side of the vehicle
mentioning the name of the police zone
Belgian Local Police forces use different sorts of police cars. Each zone can choose whether they buy vehicles via the Federal Police or lease/buy vehicles on their own, this leads to a big variety of cars in the fleet.
Federal Police/Federale Politie/Police Fédérale
The exterior of Federal Police vehicles:
white paint-job
front- and rear-striping: two orange lines on the right side of the bonnet and the boot
side-striping: three dark blue lines and one orange line, covering the rear-end on the left and the front-end on the right
contour markings on every side of the vehicle
"Police and/or Politie", "Polizei" for German speaking area the integrated police logo on each side of the vehicle
mentioning the name of the division.
The Federal Police is somewhat more structured in terms of police vehicles, compared to the Local Police. Typical vehicles of the Motor-way Police:
Volvo S60 and V70
Audi A4 quattro
Vauxhall Astra
Peugeot 807
BMW X5
Yamaha motor-cycles
BMW motor-cycles
The General Reserve has more specialised vehicles such as:
Ziegler wave 9000 water-cannons
Mercedes Sprinters,
Audi A8
Toyota Land Cruiser 100.
Carriers Shorland 600
The Water-way Police:
Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boat or RHIB
Patrol boat
The Air Support uses:
McDonnell Douglas Explorer 900
McDonnell Douglas 520
Cessna 182
Other vehicles used:
Citroën C3
Fiat Ducato
Volkswagen Transporter
Nissan Patrol
Peugeot 807
Peugeot 307
Seat Cordoba
Vauxhall Zafira
Car types
There are different types of cars used by the Police in Belgium:
Passenger vehicles: used for patrol, interception and basic police tasks
Combinations: this name is given by Belgians to Police mini-vans, like the Volkswagen Transporter. Belgium has a rich tradition of using "combinations" in great number throughout the police forces. They are used for patrol, rapid interventions, basic police tasks, transport of personnel and material and control actions
Mono-volumes and 4x4: used for patrol, basic police tasks, traffic and sometimes for field-command
Smaller passenger vehicles: used by community police, also for administrative work
Lorries, mini-buses and vans: used for field-command, staff transport, prisoner transport, animal transport
Sirens and lights
Belgium has no specific regulations concerning sirens and lights on police vehicles, although the law does not allow the use of red lights pointing forwards, therefore all emergency vehicles may only be equipped with blue lights. Each police zone or division chooses by itself which type and brand of lights and sirens will be used, although most forces stick to the popular Federal Signal equipment. Commonly used light-bars:
Federal Signal - Valour
Federal Signal - Arjent SL
Federal Signal - Smart Vector & LED Vector
Federal Signal - Vista & Vista SL
Code 3 - Code 360
Communication
In the 1980s, the lack of a good working and efficient communication systems came very clear when a couple of incidents happened in Belgium. Not long after these disasters, a committee was established. Their task was to find a better communication system. Now, since the reformation of the police, more and more police departments switch over to the new communication system called ASTRID. This new technology allows officers to communicate and work in a much better way than in the past, because of the improved voice quality, multiple functions of the system, ability to use MDTs. All police vehicles are now equipped with ASTRID.
