If anyone shows what the added value of a community police officer is, it is Hicham Argani. Taking him for a tour through his neighborhood in Boxtel puts a smile on your face. Children wave and shout and almost everyone greets him. Nevertheless, the district will soon have to do without him: Hicham will start working elsewhere. Much to the disappointment of the local residents. “Because of him we know who the police are again.”
A big smile and an open look. This is how Hicham approaches the people in ‘his’ neighbourhood. The agent is in charge of the Selissenwal in Boxtel and Esch. That accessibility is paying off.
When he walks onto the playground next to the school, children run up to give him a high-five. Then he chats with young people on the football field. “When school is out I often go here. Sometimes I kick a ball with them.”
Hicham is clearly having a good time as a community police officer. But then why does he stop? Hicham is brief about that: it’s private. And what exactly will he do next? “I don’t know yet, but at least I’ll stay with the police.”
“He was a person of the neighborhood.”
The news that Hicham is quitting has spread like wildfire in the neighborhood. Local residents pull over when they see the officer and have a chat. “What have I heard now?” says a woman. “So sorry you’re leaving.”
It soon becomes clear that the police officer has been a connecting factor in the neighbourhood. Local resident Mahfooz will miss him. “I am really sorry. He gets us, really good man. He was someone from the neighborhood.” Accessible and approachable, that is exactly what Hicham wants to be as a community police officer. “I approach people very easily, just to have a chat. You shouldn’t come alone if you have something to get, but I want to build a relationship,” he explains.
Not everyone will be a fan, but it is certain that the neighborhood thinks highly of it. Local resident Jo also confirms this when the local police officer comes to take a look after an app. “It’s a real shame, he meant a lot here. You just have to call and he is there.”
“Connecting young people and the elderly.”
Hicham himself looks back proudly on the fact that he managed to build a bridge between different generations of residents. Young people were looking for a place to do their thing, while the elderly preferred not to see that at their home.
“By making the young people understand the point of view of the older people and by making sure that the older people can imagine what the needs of the young people are. That they also have a place. I tried to put that together and I think I succeeded.”
Although all the compliments give a lot of positive energy, the realization also descends that he will no longer be working in this neighborhood. “That I’m leaving after a year, while I haven’t yet completed my mission, that’s how it feels,” says Hicham. With that mission, to make everyone feel as safe as possible, he will start his last weeks. After that, he has every confidence that his successor will fulfill that mission.
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2023-07-02 20:22:23
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