Le Figaro Nantes
The turnout was low (20.08%) but the final result.
On October 2, 2022, the inhabitants of Rezé, bordering Nantes, had voted by a large majority (71.85%) in favor of the creation of a municipal police.
“As we had committed to it with the Rezéens, without any hesitation, we respected the result”
, explains Agnès Bourgeais, the various left mayor of the town of nearly 45,000 inhabitants.
On March 30, during the municipal council, the subject therefore returned to the table for a
“symbolic moment”
as Jean-Christophe Faës, the deputy delegate for public tranquility, described it.
On the menu: the presentation of the doctrine which will guide the action of the agents and the recruitments envisaged in this territory which had held in 2021 the unenviable title of the most robbed commune in France, according to a classification of
Figaro
.
Read alsoIn Rezé, local residents' groups against burglaries
Prevention rather than punishment
Regarding the workforce, the municipality has announced the opening of six positions, including one for a department head (category B).
This should be recruited before the summer and will be responsible for organizing the service.
"The ideal would be for the team to be formed at the beginning of the year 2024"
, assures the city councilor.
The mission does not look simple because the
“competition”
of the other municipalities in the matter - in particular in Nantes - is strong.
Other reinforcements
In addition to the establishment of its municipal police, the City of Rezé has announced the recruitment of an additional mediation agent and the creation of a fourth post at the reception/secretariat center of the direction of public tranquility to "take taking into account the increase in activity.
To distinguish itself, the City of Rezé relies on its
"doctrine of proximity"
.
Clearly, the idea is not to have municipal police officers who carry out
“emergency interventions”
but rather
“prevention”
and who
“go into contact with the population”
according to Jean-Christophe Faës.
In short, it is a discount to the taste of the day of the local police suppressed in 2003 by Nicolas Sarkozy.
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No lethal weapon or taser
In this logic, the agents will not be equipped with lethal weapons.
"They won't have a taser either
," adds the deputy.
They will not be completely helpless, however.
They will be equipped with a telescopic baton, defensive spray cans and bulletproof vests.
For their displacement, purchases of mountain bikes are announced.
A vehicle will be made available to them, in particular to transport equipment.
In total, the investment - including salaries - should approach 300,000 euros per year for the community.
As for the articulation of the activity of the municipal police officers with that of the national police officers who intervene on the territory of Rezé, it will be the subject of an agreement.
“Our agents will be there to escalate any issues.
They will not be the small hands of the national police.
They are intended to be present in the fields abandoned by the State
,” says Jean-Christophe Faës.
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Presence possible on weekends
Initially, the recruited agents will be deployed from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The municipality says
"not to close the door"
for weekends depending on events.
“We are also going to target the places and times according to the feedback from the inhabitants”
, indicates the assistant for public tranquility.
Their presence is already planned in the Château district, the priority district of the city.
"Our desire is to go to other parts of the territory"
, mentions the deputy, citing in particular the districts of Confluent or Jaguère.
“The latest crime figures in Rezé show a positive trend.
If the figures are decreasing, they remain too high”
, estimates Agnès Bourgeais.
If burglaries are still
“the main difficulty”
identified, the city councilor also evokes
“an alert on car thefts”
which are on the rise.
