Montpellier: behind the pretty decor, the distress of the inhabitants of Grisettes in the face of vandalism
Burned or degraded cars, burglary, incivility: the inhabitants of a residence located in Grisettes share their “fed up”.
At the very end of rue du Mas Nouguier, the Reglis Street residence opened in 2011 in a corner of paradise. Wooden facades, private gardens on the ground floor, terraces upstairs, it has everything to seduce, with its view of the vineyards where wild boars sometimes invite themselves. One of the entrances to the Agriparc, where a 3,000 m caniparc was born2, is located below, next to the city-stadium. The Grand Puy estate, managed by the Compagnons de Maguelone, opened its doors in the shade of century-old pines, at the end of the car park.
Despite the pretty decor, the discomfort
But in this pretty setting, a few details reflect a feeling of unease. There are these traces of fires in the parking lot of the residence. Some vehicles bear the marks of damage. A broken hubcap is lying around the entrance.
At the entrance to the residence, a poster testifies to the “fed up” of the inhabitants. “Tired of finding your car vandalized or being woken up in the middle of the night because of incivility due to an increase in crime in the neighborhood? Help us put together the file to send to the town hall before Saturday, November 19”.
Neighbors share their exasperation
A Whatsapp group of neighbors has sprung up, to remove photos and evidence of vandalism. And in this matter, there is a choice. Bertrand*, who arrived in 2018, takes out his laptop where you can see several photos of burned vehicles, in the small parking lot that opened at the end of 2019.
“From the first confinement (spring 2020), there was a car fire. Since then, there have been at least three others. The last one was on November 16. Three vehicles were destroyed, including a Tesla. My neighbor managed to save his car that day, he needs it to go to work! Since then, I park mine in front of my house. Which did not prevent a window from being broken at the end of August.”
Other cars have been vandalized, their bodies scratched or their hubcaps stolen. Some have been robbed, such as “this professional vehicle in which there were several thousand euros worth of equipment”.
Especially a petty crime that ruins the quality of life
If the neighborhoods that have integrated often lack facilities, this is not the case of the Grisettes. Locals praise the quality of life.
In the news department, only the death by firearm of a 26-year-old young man in a student residence on the Rambla des Calissons, in October 2020, had hit the headlines. For the rest, the inhabitants mainly suffer from petty crime. This would also be down slightly in the city.
Confirmation expected in a few days, when the figures of the local security and crime prevention council are published.
“More and more people who drive flat out”
In 2015, Élise* had a difficult arrival. “I had my four wheels stolen that year. A neighbor had exactly the same mishap last summer. Another found his car in a field.”
“There are also more and more rodeos, people who drive flat out, even if it’s limited to 30 km / h, underlines Bertrand. During the summer of 2020, a guy in a BMW took the full road which runs along the Agriparc. He rolled over, with a young child in the car! All that is dangerous for the inhabitants, because there are many couples with children, and the Beethoven primary school is just in Face.”
Bertrand also took pictures of “nitrous oxide balloons” which demonstrated intense consumption of this laughing gas, like everywhere in town. And “these young people who squat in the parking lot” without streetlights, at nightfall. Without forgetting “these wild dumps of more and more numerous garbage”.
Yaré Diagne: “Preserving the good life”
Yaré Diagne has chaired the Grisettes neighborhood committee since 2016.
Are you informed of the problems of delinquency?
Yes, a local resident alerted me the day after the fire, and I know it’s not the first time. This is one of the files that we are following with the assistant of the Croix d’Argent-Prés d’Arènes district, Nicole Marin-Khoury. I must also meet her soon.
What are the priorities ?
More lighting is needed, especially in the car park concerned. A surveillance device, both for the car park and the neighboring school, would also be desirable.
Do these acts indicate a deterioration of the neighborhood?
No, Les Grisettes is a neighborhood where life is good. You can walk there safely. There is petty crime, people who think they can do anything, but less than in other neighborhoods. It should be remembered that the Grisettes grew very quickly. I’ve been there since 2008 and at the time, there were only cows and vines!
What is the neighborhood committee’s priority?
We are here to create a link between the inhabitants through events and activities. Preserving good living is an everyday mission. But besides that, we also want to remain vigilant. Escalating issues as quickly as possible is a priority for them to be dealt with effectively.
“This neighborhood has everything to be pleasant”
Finally, there are burglaries. “Last spring, there was one in the collective garage of the residence, adds Élise. In my garden, they took a bike that I found the next day in the street. But I’m not to complain The house near the vineyards suffered three attempts! And another neighbor was so fed up that she wrote “There is nothing left to steal! in front of her house”.
Determined to make things happen, Bertrand went to the police station “with lots of photos and testimonials. But they didn’t even take the time to listen to me.”
This does not weaken the determination of the inhabitants, who intend to send their file to the representatives of the State, the city and the police. “We are asking for lighting, cameras and police rounds. We have a neighborhood that has everything to be pleasant, and we just want it to become so again.”
An eco-district on the rise
Developed since 2010, the Grisettes eco-district (urban development project favoring sustainable development and ecology) has 130,000 m2 of housing and 2,000 m2 of shops. Served by tram line 2, it offers all services, including a 20,000 m2 clinic and nursing home. There are many social housing and the Mas Cobado, the first large participatory housing born in Montpellier. Nearby grows a residence of nine apartments. A group of residents asked for a community center instead, the Grisettes having gained 4,000 inhabitants in ten years. Just behind, there is the jewel of the district: the Agriparc du Mas Nouguier. Acquired in 2008 by the City, it extends over 21 hectares, a third of which is vines, but also 9,000 m2 of family gardens and 1,800 m2 of shared gardens.
The first names have been changed.
