Information exchange on suspicious or criminal situations
At the initiative of the Port Authority, Antwerp is the first Belgian seaport to set up a Local Information Network (LIN).
This is a collaborative arrangement between companies in the Antwerp port area and the local authorities, in which the companies undertake to exchange information on suspicious or criminal situations with each other, through the police.
The more efficient reporting of information enables the police to intervene faster whenever suspicious behaviour is observed, leading to greater security and confidence among port users. The protocol has been signed by the mayors of Antwerp, Beveren and Zwijndrecht, the Antwerp port alderman, the Federal Police and the Shipping Police, the LIN coordinator and the senior police officers responsible.
Police share information with LIN members
The Port Authority already collaborates closely with the police, the justice system, the Customs authorities and the private sector in order to combat criminality within the port area. This collaboration was formalised two years ago with a steering group entitled “Integrated approach to criminality in the port.” The idea of setting up a Local Information Network was subsequently developed by this steering group. “The Port Authority has undertaken to play the role of LIN coordinator, thus ensuring a high level of responsiveness 24/7,” declared harbourmaster Jan Verbist. “The member companies are able to report situations quickly and simultaneously, and are less likely to become victims themselves as a result.“
Expanding the network
The Port Authority has already approached 650 companies and invited them to join the network free of charge. “We currently have more than 450 LIN members within the port, and we are convinced that the network will expand still further,” explained LIN coordinator Kathy Dua. “Security is a shared responsibility, and the port companies are well aware of this. Furthermore, exchanging information permits greater social control within the port and leads to a greater sense of security. Passing on information more efficiently enables the police to react more quickly whenever a suspicious situation is observed, which helps to deter people with bad intentions.“
LIN
The port of Antwerp LIN is the largest network of its type, as the port companies are spread over a huge area of 130 km. To make it more practicable the system works with geographical clusters, with companies receiving selected messages in real time about events in their immediate vicinity. A LIN is limited purely to passing on information: the companies connected to the network are not permitted to carry out patrols or inspection rounds in the public areas of the port.
Source: Port of Antwerp
