Exactly one year after the death of 10-year-old Fayed, victim of stray bullets in a shootout in Nîmes, a police station has been moved from the Valdegour district to the Pissevin district (Gard), the scene of the tragedy. This reinforcement represents a hope of security for the residents, who are also calling for a return of community policing.
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A police station to restore peace. Exactly one year after the death of little Fayed, killed by stray bullets during a settling of scores in the heart of the Pissevin district in Nîmes (Gard), the district finally has a police station, moved from another working-class district, Valdegour. This change will be made official on August 26.
In the meantime, the front of the structure inevitably arouses curiosity.The residents are happy that there is a police station. It reassures them.” admits Alain Lorgeas, president of the neighborhood interest committee (CIQ), already present when community policing was stopped around twenty years ago.
“It’s not a creation, it’s just a movement” recalls Sansy Issartel, departmental secretary of the Unité union.”It is mainly to control the area, so that there are police officers in the neighborhood, and so that citizens see them more regularly.“.
According to her, the municipal and national police will work closely together. There will be between one and three patrol vehicles per day, as well as five officers responsible for collecting complaints.
“There are a lot of expectations. It was a demand from the population after Fayed’s death.” continues Raouf Azzouz, director of the Mille couleurs association in Nîmes, recalling the “promise” from the Minister of the Interior.
But this is not enough for the activists.We also need foot patrols. The state doesn’t understand that driving around is useless. Community policing would be essential for the neighborhood.” continues Alain Lorgeas. The state of mind is the same for Raouf Azzouz.
We want the police to be able to be on the ground, doing rounds, harassing dealers. We don’t want a police station where you just file a complaint and it closes at 5 p.m.
Raouf Azzouz – director of the association “Les Mille couleurs”
to France 3 Occitanie
“We need a community police force, like educators, a presence on the ground” he says. “We hope to see the neighborhood change, and to have security“.
Will this police station change the life of the neighborhood?We will see in use” repeats Sansy Issartel.”We saw with the Olympics, there were a lot of police officers and therefore less crime. Everyone is happy, and we are better off for it.“.
Written with Pauline Pidoux and Eric Mangani.
