“I am counting on your personal involvement to put an end to these unbearable disorders.
The Ministry of the Interior has decided to strike a blow this weekend in the face of an upsurge in recent days of urban rodeos.
Gérald Darmanin asked the police and the gendarmerie on Thursday to intensify controls this weekend on the axes frequented by the followers of the practice.
In a telegram addressed to the heads of the police and the gendarmerie, of which AFP has read, the Minister of the Interior explains "that with the approach of fine weather, the mobilization of all the services must intensify with the systematic seizure of vehicles and the arrest of perpetrators”.
He asks them "to implement determined actions from this Friday to deal with this phenomenon" and sets them the objective of "700 operations this weekend" which they will have to report to him.
1,400% increase since 2018
The police and gendarmes are invited in particular to set up “coordinated control operations” and to “proceed with the systematic seizure of the devices used”.
These operations must also “be the subject of local communication aimed at elected officials and the population on social networks and in the press”, adds Gérald Darmanin.
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The law of August 3, 2018 on urban rodeos created a specific offense punishable by one year in prison and a fine of 15,000 euros.
According to data from the Chancellery, convictions related to urban rodeos have increased by 1,400% since 2018 and for the year 2021 alone there has been an increase of almost 40% in convictions.
According to the minister, “in 2021, 26,912 interventions and 3,206 offenses were recorded”.
“In the national police jurisdiction alone, 1,242 motorized vehicles were seized and 987 people placed in police custody on the basis of the law of August 3, 2018 (including 183 vehicles and 376 police custody under the jurisdiction of the prefecture of Paris police).
