Le Figaro Marseille
The prefect of police of Marseille assures it: 2024 will be the year of change in the city center of the Phocaean city. During a press conference given on Tuesday in the presence of the prosecutor of the Republic of Marseille, Frédérique Camilleri detailed in front of journalists the main measures of her new action plan to fight insecurity in the center of the second city of France. The aim of the plan is to make the city centre "the showcase of a safe, pleasant and lively city.
»First of all, the prefect of police promises an increased police presence in the streets of central Marseille. "The police must not only arrest criminals but also talk to shopkeepers," said Frédérique Camilleri, who welcomed the creation last November of a brigade of ten police officers specifically dedicated to the centre of Marseille. These members of the security forces patrol on foot every day during the opening hours of the shops. Their mission? "Systematically make contact with shopkeepers," explains the police prefect. He goes into every business to check in and try to get information." To increase the visibility of police officers, the police prefect also announced the perpetuation of a "mobile police station" system housed in a van and tested during the Rugby World Cup.
Frédérique Camilleri also announced that she was stepping up the fight against immigration, especially irregular immigration, in the city centre of Marseille, which she said was the mother of many ills. "From now on, we are going to carry out operations to combat illegal immigration, which will be redirected as a priority to the city centre. There is a real issue of delinquency linked to foreigners, the overwhelming majority of whom are in an irregular situation." It notes that "foreigners are responsible for 67% of street crime in Marseille.
»'Black spots'
However, the prefect's remarks are based on an estimate based on "a quick survey". Indeed, Frédérique Camilleri herself acknowledges that "statistics only make it possible to see whether someone is French or not, and not to know whether the person is in an irregular or legal situation". In accordance with the instructions given by the Ministry of the Interior, it promises "an administrative response to persons in an irregular situation who, during their police custody, will be placed in administrative detention centres.
»Finally, and above all, the prefect intends to focus on what she calls "black spots", starting with street vending. In the city center of Marseille, and particularly in the Noailles district, very close to the Old Port, many people indulge in this illicit activity, selling on the sidewalk, as Frédérique Camilleri reminds us, "things recovered from garbage cans, drug trafficking or the street sale of cigarettes." "The objective with the new brigade that has been created is to pass not once but six, seven or ten times to systematically fine and ask offenders to leave."
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Street vending is one of our objectives because it is particularly visible and has a strong impact on the feeling of insecurity," agrees Cédric Esson, interdepartmental director of the national police. In addition, we are equipped with computer resources that allow us to issue fines directly on the public road." On this point, the public prosecutor of Marseille, Nicolas Bessone, promises a coordinated and up to the task judicial response, with "immediate appearances" to come in certain cases that justify it.
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Six months before the Olympics
The other black spot on which the prefect intends to act is the drug trafficking that is rampant in certain districts of downtown Marseille. As a reminder, faced with this problem, the Colbert site of the Faculty of Economics and Management of Marseille had threatened last autumn to close as long as the deal point that existed in front of the university remained without a permanent police presence. In these districts, there is still "a deal on a less industrial level than in the northern or southern districts of Marseille, but perhaps more widespread," says Nicolas Bessone. According to him, "there are a few networks in this sector that will have to be dealt with", recalling that two investigations into these specific cases are underway.
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We put the static presence of police officers in front of the faculty," recalls Frédérique Camilleri. This presence lasted for several months. It obviously brought calm to the immediate surroundings of the faculty. And I asked to radiate around the faculty to fight against the phenomenon of postponement. And that's why, for several weeks now, the system has been expanded around the Halle Puget", the name of the building that faced the faculty and housed a deal point.
These announcements towards a tightening of security policies in the city center of Marseille come six months before the Paris Olympics. "It is clear that it will allow us to host the Olympic Games in better conditions for visitors but, no, this is not a strategy for the Olympics," said the police chief. As a reminder, in addition to the arrival of the Olympic flame in the Old Port on 8 May, Marseille will host several events, including all the sailing competitions.