If they weren't the result of a disturbing pandemic, these are figures that any Minister of the Interior would frame in his office. As expected due to the containment started on Tuesday March 17 due to coronavirus, the delinquency figures published this Monday by the Ministerial Statistical Service of the Homeland Security (SSMSI) show a general decrease in crimes and offenses in France in March. Only homicides (70 in March) remain stable.
With the French confined to their homes, house burglaries fell sharply in March. A fall of 44% compared to the previous month, which is explained by "the fact that empty dwellings are rarer because people stay at home, blows a specialized gendarme." Above all, burglars cannot go unnoticed on the roads and are exposed to controls. So they too stay at home. "
However, we must remain cautious. Hundreds of French people, particularly in the Paris region, left their main residence during the confinement. Several burglaries have touched empty apartments, and some Ile-de-France residents may have unpleasant surprises when they return. In addition, "the confinement strongly influenced the conditions for filing a complaint," said the SSMSI.
"Thieves have fewer targets"
Difficulty filing a complaint, which should also be taken into account regarding "deliberate destruction and degradations". They are down 43% in March or "scams", which fell 46%. In fact, in the current context, complaints for a degraded rear view mirror or for a scam at 30 euros on the Internet can wait.
"These figures are good, but it is almost logical and to be taken with caution," blows a security source. Likewise, we must be careful with the post-containment figures, because we cannot exclude the possibility that people will go to complain about things suffered during the confinement once the police stations and gendarmeries are easier to access. "
The health crisis and the instructions to stay at home also have a major impact on thefts. Whether violent and armed (-43%), violent but unarmed (-45%) or committed without violence (-51%), all were down in March. "There is no one on the streets," notes a police officer posted in Ile-de-France. Logically, thieves have fewer targets. "
Reduced voluntary violence, but ...
This is particularly the case for pickpockets which, in the Paris region, cannot take advantage of the crowds in public transport. The absence of tourists, often targeted by thieves, and the low number of users also explain the spectacular drop in these figures.
Other indicators, which are also declining, remain more uncertain as to the real decrease in the acts committed. This is particularly the case of voluntary violence, down 33%. Many of them take place in an intra-family context. Containment makes it more difficult to file a complaint. "Normally, female victims call for help when the abusive husband is not at home," said a police officer. There, it is much more difficult. "
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The drop in sexual violence (-43%) is, for the same reason, to be taken with caution. "This month of March is almost an inevitable parenthesis, provides a security source. This should be even more spectacular in April, but it is advisable to remain modest and to prepare to avoid an excessive rise at the end of the confinement. "
