Senior police officers yesterday (Tuesday, June 5) joined politicians, policy makers and industry representatives in Brussels for a TISPOL conference to explore strategies and partnerships in the fight against road transport-related crime.

The conference, taking place at the city’s Renaissance Hotel, was opened by Ad Hellemons, director of TISPOL the European Traffic Police Network, while the keynote address was given by Belgian Minister of the Interior, Joëlle Milquet.

TISPOL director Ad Hellemons said: “Our goal is to identify the areas where cross-border co-operation between police forces can be strengthened and to consider the most appropriate and effective strategies and methods.

“It is important that police and other enforcement agencies should work together more effectively. It is also important to look at public/private partnerships and how these can play their part.

“These three topics are fully in line with the EU policies and programmes regarding the improvement of co-operation in Europe.”

The conference has an important role within TISPOL’s Road Policing Activities project. It underlines the policy TISPOL has chosen in the project, which puts the emphasis on three core tasks: improving co-operation with organisations such as Europol and Frontex; the co-operation with the other enforcement agencies and also co-operation with private stakeholders.

Hellemons concluded: “In order to deal with the growing challenge of transport- and traffic-related crime in Europe, we need not only improved cross-border police co-operation but also improved co-operation between police and other enforcement agencies, at national as well as EU level.

“We also need improved public/private partnership working, as well as the support of the EU for this process.”