Belgian ID cards used to report online crime

Belgian citizens can now use their e-ID cards to report crimes to the federal police through an electronic terminal connected to the Internet.

After some encouraging feasibility studies, the first trials took place in parts of Brussels in January 2007.

During the first phase of the project, criminal acts like vandalism, mugging and bicycle theft can be registered in just a few clicks. The citizen reporting the crime is identified by their secure electronic identity card. This process offers significant timesavings compared to traditional crime reporting in police stations, which takes an average of two hours. The project will soon be widened to include other types of crime.

This scheme is part of the Belgian government’s plan to simplify the country’s administrative processes.