The Belgian police recruitment process has been modified to allow individuals with a criminal record to apply, as reported on June 13, 2025.

This decision, made some time ago, has not been publicly dated by the police.

The new policy applies to police inspectors in both federal and local police forces.

Despite this change, the police have clarified that it does not guarantee acceptance, as candidates can still be rejected after a morality check.

While the change was not specifically aimed at addressing staffing shortages, it could potentially help alleviate the issue, given that only 19 out of 98 police zones in northern Belgium are adequately staffed.

The staffing situation is critical, highlighting the need for new recruitment strategies.

The new measure aligns with legal requirements that state an applicant must have respectable conduct, which does not necessarily equate to a clean criminal record.

Nicholas Paelinck, chief of the Westkust police zone, provided an example of a former student with minor offenses, arguing that such individuals should not be automatically disqualified from police service.

He illustrated the rationale for this policy by citing cases of individuals with past convictions for minor offenses like noise disturbance and drug use during their university years.

The police have refrained from labeling this change as a relaxation of standards, emphasizing that thorough evaluations will still be conducted.

The recruitment procedure itself has not been adjusted specifically to tackle the staffing shortage, but this policy change may indirectly assist in recruitment efforts.

Although the decision to allow individuals with criminal records to apply was made previously, the police have not disclosed the exact date of its implementation.