On Wednesday, Belgian police started an “immersive internship” for schoolchildren aged 14-18 to show them what the security forces’ work looks like from the inside. The first day of the program saw the children visiting the stables and becoming acquainted with the mounted police officers and their horses. The children also saw a water cannon from the inside and were able to put on police gear – training in which it seemed the interns were preparing to tackle street protests.
The authorities announced the ‘Rookies’ program for young people in late 2021. Around 160 teens have applied for the course, but only 30 of them were eventually selected for the internship. There were 15 boys and 15 girls among the recruits from various parts of the country.