Toulouse: faced with burglaries, the police are stepping up their efforts and giving advice
By Maxence Dourlen
Published on
The burglaries are in increase in Haute-Garonne. After the alert transmitted by the prefecture, it is the turn of the police to warn the population.
A week after thwarting three attempts in the western sector of Toulousethe police company Toulouse-Mirail steps up to the plate in a period when the danger is particularly great. “We feel that people have gone on vacation, explains Nicolas Charriercompany commander.
Burglaries on the rise
Unlike previous years when the Covid-19 epidemic had somewhat upset the habits of the inhabitants of Toulouse and its surroundings, this summer 2022 seems to have returned to a rather “normal” rhythm regarding departures on vacation.
“This is certainly what explains the increase in burglaries in recent weeks, argues the commander of the Toulouse-Mirail company. We have a lot of work to curb the phenomenon which affects principal residences in particular, those where the owners are absent. »
Increased vigilance
To support Operation Tranquility Vacations (OTV), the gendarmerie engages several levers during the summer period.
“When people use this system, we try to get through every day. It represents a colossal work! But we can rely on the police services with whom we work together, ”adds Nicolas Charrier. “We always have patrols outside, which allows us to be fairly reactive to burglary attempts. »
What is OTV?
Thanks to this e-service, gendarmes and police patrols are available to monitor your home day and night, weekdays and weekends.
A patrol is mobilized in the event of anomalies detected related to your accommodation such as damage, attempted break-ins or burglary.
Important means
To fight against this phenomenon, the gendarmerie of Toulouse-Mirail regularly hires reservists specialized in burglaries. They carry out increased surveillance in residential areas, during the day, and also control flows. Reinforcements from the mobile gendarmerie of the Toulouse squadron are also recorded. “We are always on alert,” says the company commander, who has asked his units to be particularly attentive in recent days.
A tracking dog is sometimes called upon, a few minutes after a theft, to follow a fleeing burglar. “It works most of the time because the criminals always leave traces which help the dog to quickly find a track, provided that they are on foot. »
A strong reactivity
The gendarmes know it: if they want to arrest burglars, they must not waste a minute. This is why their responsiveness is regularly tested. During the last arrests, the gendarmes of the Toulouse-Mirail company intervened in less than five minutes. An ability to act quickly, more and more effective… and discouraging for thieves.
“When there is a burglary or a flight, it is the best time to arrest a burglar, specifies Nicolas Charrier. We are in a rather effective reaction posture. The territorial network is very effective! The police and gendarmerie teams also rely on the precious elements that can be recovered by the neighborhood. “We carry out rounds targeted on certain sectors”, specifies a police source to Actu Toulouse.
“We regularly conduct neighborhood surveys to collect as much information as possible (vehicle license plate, clothing, operating mode, etc.). People should not hesitate to report if they have seen something. This phenomenon is everyone’s business. »
It is not uncommon for the gendarmes to learn a great deal from the different CCTV systems installed around a broken-in house.
Simple gestures
If you are the victim of a burglary, the actions to adopt are rather simple. “Above all, you mustn’t touch anything,” the company commander hastens to explain. This allows the technical and scientific police to identify borrowings or biological traces to confuse the authors via fingerprints or even DNA. »
If he admits that vigilance remains the first weapon, Commander Charrier specifies that “the majority of burglaries are ‘opportunities'”. “It is imperative to lock your doors, the bay windows… When you live in a collective residence, do not hesitate to wait a few seconds, the time that the automatic gate closes without anyone being able to enter…”
“At night, some people can leave windows open to ventilate, it’s understandable… This is unfortunately what explains the multiplication of burglaries without break-ins. Burglars rush through the windows at night, even for petty theft…”
“Don’t forget to put devices to block access to your windows when they are open at night and to show that you are present, adds a police source. Also, don’t leave valuables where potential burglars can see them. It’s stupid, but it catches the eye…”
Prison sentences
When they arrest a burglar, the police know full well that it is probably not an isolated act. “It is often teams and repeat offenders who carry out theft of this type”, adds Nicolas Charrier. “When we arrest someone, we know that he may be involved in several burglaries. »
A little over a week after annihilating three attempts at larceny, the gendarmes say they are “satisfied” with the criminal response. Two men were sentenced to 6 months in prison with incarceration and a third to 2 years in prison including 6 months suspended.
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