Basic training of police inspectors – 2024 follow-up to the 2022 audit recommendations

In 2022, the Belgian Court of Audit examined whether: basic training for police inspectors met the staffing needs both in terms of quantity and quality; the supervision and coordination mechanisms could ensure the quality of that training; and its cost was under control. The Court then concluded that: the Federal Police was not capable of guaranteeing uniform training or equivalent validation of the knowledge acquired in all schools; there was no centralised system for monitoring regulatory quality standards; there was a wide disparity in resources between schools; and the Federal Police had no information on the total training cost per aspiring inspector. Two years after publishing its initial audit report, the Court considers that, of its eighteen 2022 recommendations, three have been met, eight are being implemented and seven have not been fulfilled. Although progress has been made in several areas, the implementation of most projects will take time and some will require legislative changes. The Court believes that, while measures have been taken in response to its 2022 audit report, some critical recommendations still require significant action.