In 2020, Genk recorded 112 residential burglaries — a figure attributed to the lockdown and to homes being occupied around the clock. In 2025, the figure is exactly the same: 112, this time without a lockdown. An opportunity to look closely at what, at neighbourhood level, really makes a difference.
Genk returns to its floor, without the circumstances that created it
The series published by the federal police for Genk starts at 186 incidents in 2019. It falls to 112 in 2020, rises to 150 in 2021, then settles on a remarkably flat plateau: 158 in 2022, 156 in 2023, 154 in 2024. Three years within a few units of each other, as if the municipality's level of risk had frozen.
2025 breaks this plateau: 112 incidents, 27.3% fewer than in 2024 and 39.8% fewer than in 2019, with no exceptional circumstances comparable to those of 2020. Per week, that comes to 2.2 residential burglaries.
The decline is even clearer over the long term: 312 incidents in 2000, 345 in 2015 — the peak of the series. Genk now records less than a third of that peak. Of the 152 burglaries in buildings in 2025, homes account for 74%: housing, not economic activity, remains the dominant target.
A note of honesty is needed: a single year does not make a trend, and the 2022–2024 plateau shows that the municipality can also stay put for a long time. The right way to use these figures is not to lower your guard, but to understand what, locally, makes the difference.
Suburban housing, with its own weaknesses
Genk is neither a dense city centre nor a rural municipality. Its dominant housing is that of suburban neighbourhoods: terraced or semi-detached houses, small gardens, attached garages, outbuildings and garden sheds. This urban form creates a very particular risk profile.
First, the rear is the real entry point. Kitchen door, living-room French window, utility room window: these access points are not visible from the street, and the small garden leading to them is often enclosed by a hedge or fence — which shields the intruder once they are through.
Next, the garage and outbuildings act as an airlock. They are easy to get into, they contain tools, and the connecting door between the garage and the house is almost always weaker than the front door. It deserves the same treatment.
Finally, adjoining houses work both ways. They make a break-in more audible, and therefore riskier for the intruder. But that is useless if nobody in the street has any reason to react to an unusual noise. This is exactly where neighbourhood organisation comes in.
The neighbourhood information network: what the BIN does, and what it does not
The Buurtinformatienetwerk (BIN, neighbourhood information network) is a structured scheme, overseen by the authorities, that links the residents of a neighbourhood to their police zone. The principle: a resident reports an incident or suspicious behaviour to the police, and it is the police — never a private individual — who decide whether to send an alert to the whole network.
This asymmetry is the heart of the system, and it is what sets it apart from a neighbourhood messaging group. An informal channel spreads rumours, photos of passers-by and sometimes accusations; a BIN spreads information filtered by a service that knows what is relevant. The difference is not cosmetic: it determines how reliable what you receive will be.
What the BIN brings to a Genk neighbourhood: knowledge of a modus operandi currently in use, targeted vigilance during sensitive periods, and above all the removal of an inhibition — knowing that calling 101 about a vehicle that drives past three times is legitimate.
What the BIN does not do: it does not intervene, it does not watch your house, it does not replace any equipment. An active neighbourhood network and an unprotected glazed back door remain an unprotected glazed back door.
Alarm verification, the link that neighbours cannot replace
The Belgian rule is strict: no police intervention follows an alarm without prior alarm verification. A siren wailing without anyone being able to say what is happening triggers nothing, in Genk as everywhere else.
An attentive neighbour can provide this verification, provided they are present, available and willing to approach — three conditions rarely met at the same time on a Tuesday at 2 pm. The reliable route is technical: detection that produces verifiable information, not a mere notification. The photo-verification detectors turn an alert into a finding, which makes it possible to decide within seconds whether to call the police or close the app.
Two additions that suit suburban housing: outdoor detection aimed at the small garden and rear access, which raises the alarm before the glass breaks rather than after, and an outdoor siren, whose role is precisely to mobilise the neighbours in Genk's adjoining houses by making the break-in public. Everything is managed from a single control panel; an alarm kit provides an expandable base for a house of this type.
No premium in Genk, but free advice that really exists
Let us be clear, because the subject breeds a lot of confusion: the City of Genk's catalogue of premiums and subsidies contains no municipal aid for home security. There is no point waiting for a refund that does not exist. Note in passing that, in Belgian municipalities that grant such a premium, it funds mechanical protection — locks, cylinders, burglar-resistant glazing, window frames — and excludes alarm systems and cameras.
What does exist in Genk, on the other hand, is the free security advice offered by the city. The municipality falls under the CARMA local police (5909), whose burglary prevention adviser visits your home, examines your actual access points and provides written advice with no commercial interest whatsoever. This is also the way to find out whether a BIN exists in your neighbourhood, or how to set one up.
Alarm and camera: the obligations, and the neighbour's boundary
An alarm must be declared within ten days via police-on-web, confirmed every year and maintained annually, and its outdoor siren may not sound for more than three minutes. These rules derive from the Royal Decree of 25 April 2007 and are federal — see our guide on the declaration of an alarm system.
A camera must be declared on declarationcamera.be, requires a visible pictogram and a register of processing activities, and may film neither the public road nor other people's property. In a neighbourhood of adjoining houses with contiguous small gardens, this constraint is immediate: the neighbour's garden often begins three metres from your rear façade, which means choosing the angle and lens accordingly. The details are in our article on the camera law in Belgium, and our comparison alarm or camera helps you choose between the two approaches.
Frequently asked questions
How many burglaries were recorded in Genk in 2025?
112 residential burglaries were recorded in Genk in 2025, or 2.2 per week. That is 27.3% fewer than in 2024 (154 incidents) and 39.8% fewer than in 2019 (186 incidents). The peak of the series dates back to 2015, with 345 incidents.
What is a BIN (Buurtinformatienetwerk) and how do you join one in Genk?
A BIN is a neighbourhood information network linking residents to their police zone. Residents report suspicious incidents, and it is the police who decide whether to send an alert to the whole network. To find out whether one exists in your Genk neighbourhood, contact the city's prevention service or the CARMA local police.
Is there a municipal security premium in Genk?
No. The City of Genk's catalogue of premiums and subsidies contains no municipal aid for home security. In Belgian municipalities that grant one, this premium covers only mechanical protection and excludes alarms and cameras.
Can a neighbour provide the alarm verification for my alarm?
In practice, rarely. Alarm verification is mandatory before any police intervention and requires someone to be able to confirm that the intrusion is real. To do so, a neighbour must be present, available and willing to approach; detection with photo verification provides the same confirmation without depending on these conditions.
Can I install a camera covering my garden in Genk?
Yes, as long as it stays framed on your own land. It may film neither the public road nor the neighbour's garden, which, in a neighbourhood of adjoining houses, often requires a tight angle. It must be declared on declarationcamera.be and signalled by the regulatory pictogram.
Sources: Police crime statistics, Federal Police DGR/DRI/BIPOL, publication 2025_T04 (closing date 24/04/2026) — Genk municipal factsheet. Free security advice: City of Genk. Police zone: CARMA local police (5909). Municipal schemes change from one year to the next: check with the municipality before incurring any costs.