The police, whose unions denounce the lack of equipment to deal with the coronavirus, should be "better protected" and wear masks during checks related to containment, said Tuesday the prosecutor of the Republic of Paris Rémy Heitz.
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"I think the police should be better protected, they should indeed wear masks. It is also planned, fortunately, ”said Rémy Heitz on franceinfo. Several police unions have denounced in recent days the lack of protective masks and hydroalcoholic gel, Alliance even calling on the officers not to carry out the checks until they have received the "necessary necessary protective equipment". The controversy is part of the Ministry of the Interior's choice to give its stock of 1.4 million FFP2 masks to healthcare staff, in application of government doctrine.
At the end of last week, the entourage of the minister, Christophe Castaner, had however indicated that an order of a million masks had been carried out, intended for the police, who also carried out some 303,000 checks on March 30 in Paris to ensure compliance with the containment rules implemented by the authorities since mid-March, giving rise to 24,265 reports. Failure to comply with these rules results in a fine of 135 euros. "The confinement is respected by the vast majority of Parisians since, out of ten checks, nine people are in good standing but we have recalcitrants," argued the prosecutor.
In the case of four violations within thirty days, the penalty can be increased to a fine of 3,750 euros and a maximum of six months in prison. "We already have a dozen such cases," said Rémy Heitz. A person, "quite young", must also be tried Tuesday afternoon in immediate appearance at the Paris court, he added. The prosecutor once again said he was in favor of considering community service sentences, possibly in a hospital environment after the epidemic, rather than heavy penalties in the event of a conviction for non-compliance with confinement.
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