Translated from French by Microsoft
I'm tired of the forces of law and order: some
Actualité — RT en FrançaisPoliciers en burn out et commissariats qui craquent : «Notre sécurité n'est plus assurée»
Translated from French
Burn out cops and police stations cracking: "Our security is no longer assured"
Policiers en burn out et commissariats qui craquent : «Notre sécurité n'est plus assurée» …
Taken between the crossfire of terrorism, delinquency and social movements, the police stations continue to operate despite cruel lack of personnel that generate intense pressure on the police.
In the midst of social movements that cross the whole of France and subject the police to intense pressure, police officers show as many signs of shortness of breath as yellow vests. The interior minister, who has relied heavily on his peacekeepers in recent weeks, has agreed to meet with the majority unions in the sector on 18 December. But Christophe Castaner immediately set the limits of the framework of the discussion by stating at the microphone of BFMTV: "I do not believe that the police are Yellow Vests." These professional representatives however compete with shattering announcements on actions that flirt with the limits of the strike although such action is prohibited. The union VIGI, very unrepresentative within the police, even went so far as to announce an unlimited strike notice from 8 December.
But according to police officers in the field, the minister's reaction comes too late, anyway. The announcement repeated this December 18 by the government of a premium of 300 euros for staff mobilized during the events (attributable under certain time and calendar conditions) had already been made on the occasion of the lunch Emmanuel Macron in a barracks of CRS December 3 in the twentieth arrondissement of Paris. A CRS company had decided to give it up. A member of the police association UPNI, joined by RT France considers moreover that it is a "very bad message" to address to the Yellow Vests: "This dehumanizes still more the policemen and one does not have really you do not need that. "
Meanwhile, some police stations, especially in Paris, have to close at night, for lack of staff, when the agents of some others do not go out anymore on patrol.
The police station in Longjumeau in Essonne is a particularly shining example of what the men and women in blue face every day in a struggle that is becoming less and less silent to the point where the media are beginning to take an interest in it. In this police station, nothing goes more: according to police officers interviewed by RT France, out of 32 policemen holding land (police-relief and anti-crime brigade combined), 14 are currently on sick leave, despite the persistent delinquency and the crisis of Yellow vests.
On the other hand, local staff did not wait for recent union initiatives to strike the figure and suspend their patrols - that is, only to go out on call. This is already the situation in Longjumeau since long weeks. In this, this police station that goes wrong can be considered a forerunner in this area and its staff, out of breath, appear as whistleblowers.
The local hierarchy supports its teams, as well as the departmental director, the psychologist and the mayor of the city ... But nothing moves and the police flounder one after the other. Some begin to have suicidal thoughts.
Small police stations like ours are forgotten
Two members of the police force of this police station confided to RT France and described a "catastrophic" situation: "Two out of three day brigades are currently on sick leave. In three years, the situation has seriously deteriorated. For example, we did not have school trips [new recruits fresh out], except to fill the departures. Already at the time, when the community police disappeared, this brigade turned into a BAC [anti-crime brigade] by day and it has grown to seven, instead of eight, including two security assistants. They do what they can on the ground, but they do not have the same powers as the peacekeepers ... "
And yet there are plenty of problems on the ground and people are screaming for safety. One of the two police officers interviewed by RT France stressed the urgency of the situation in Longjumeau: "This is a difficult sector. This is the second narcotics trafficking platform on our department [Essonne]. However, Longjumeau has not been put in SUEP [sectors or priority management units, which attract applications from officials wishing to advance their career], and the working conditions are catastrophic ... "
I could not stand it anymore so I called my commander to tell him that I preferred to return my service weapon because I had suicidal urges
So, to continue to ensure a minimum of patrols during the day, colleagues arrange between them, even if they have to put their personal leave and mandatory training in the background. However, officials believe that a double standard applies to staffing police stations: "We must understand that small police stations such as ours are forgotten. At home, the night BAC turned four people three nights out of seven, now there are only three to do the same job, "laments a policeman Longjumeau.
His colleague nevertheless welcomes the values that the police know how to keep between them: "Our direct hierarchy supports us, among colleagues, there is a lot of solidarity and we continue to make the interpellation, the détrerrement, despite the difficulties to lead our mission. "
Our disarray was also noted by the psychiatrist, she is outraged
The problem of this poorly endowed police station is actually a classic of territorial issues in the police: the police station of Massy, first city of the department aspires vocations thanks to the SUEP status.
For example, the already assigned police officers in the sector, who are being cleared to work as an anti-crime squad (BAC), are faced with two choices: staying in a police station struggling for money and waiting for their clearance to become null and void. a year or ask for transfer to a police station that can accommodate them in a BAC.
Our security is no longer assured, especially during the day in drug trafficking areas. This is not important for the Ministry of the Interior apparently.
In addition, the lack of resources confronts police officers with another stumbling block in the police force; they no longer feel safe on the ground. "The context has changed a lot in ten years. Now, there are the attacks, the school protests more and more violent and recurrent. So no, our security is no longer assured, especially during the day in drug trafficking areas. We have a great feeling of insecurity. Our security is not important for the Ministry of the Interior apparently, "says one of the police officers interviewed.
So, in desperation and pushed to extremes, members of the security forces who can not strike or continue under these conditions accumulate work stoppages to avoid the end of case: "We are all out. We talked to our departmental director, but he himself told us that his hands were tied. Our dismay was also noted by the psychiatrist. She is outraged ... The mayor of Longjumeau [Sandrine Gelot, The Republicans-LR] also supports us. On the other hand, it's radio silence, "the other policeman complained.
Our personal life is impacted too. Sometimes we think of suicide. So we stop.
Another adds: "Our only way not to crack is the work stoppage. The commanding officer and the chief of service have asked for their transfers, and the officers usually get what they ask for ... We, no. We stay there. We were told to wait until June 2019 without knowing what will happen at that time. But for us, the speech of patience is heavy and it does not change anything. Our personal life is impacted too. Sometimes we think of suicide. So we stop. "
Stopping rather than going too far and committing the irreparable is the choice that one of these two policemen had to make: "I could not stand it anymore so I called my commander for him to say that I preferred to return my service weapon because I had suicidal impulses. I was taken on a date for two hours and was told, basically, "Take your day." Then I was given my weapon back to work. "
And if these police officers know they can count on a part of their hierarchy at the local level, they have no illusions about the consequences that will be given to their movement of distress: "In any case, we were sworn that we would be paid for our sick leave. "
When mayors must find solutions to overcome state deficiencies
Joined by RT France, the cabinet of Sandrine Gelot, Mayor LR of Longjumeau, recalled that the city had written an open letter to the Minister of the Interior on December 10, in which it drew the government's attention to the critical situation of residents of the neighborhood La Rocade-Bel Air who, faced with the crime of their residential area, "are exhausted, are afraid for themselves and their children, feel at the mercy of dealers and abandoned by the state."
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