Toulouse. The police reinforce the device for the Christmas holidays
This Friday, police patrols were numerous in downtown Toulouse. Officials are securing the most produced venues in the run-up to Christmas.
The police presence did not go unnoticed this Friday, around the Place du Capitole in Toulouse. As the Christmas holidays approach, the streets are crowded, as are the shops. “To ensure the safety of the population, we have reinforced the system and the way of operating. From now on, we favor pedestrian patrols”, warns Jean-Cyrille Reymond, departmental director of public security for Haute-Garonne. The police cars are parked near the square Charles de Gaulle so as to be noticed by everyone. “These vehicles have a preventive effect. Those who know them know that we are not far away,” said the director of public security, present on the spot.
“We take care of the areas where there is delinquency”
At the same time, four to six patrols of three officials wander simultaneously in the hypercentre. National and municipal police are dividing up the land between the Christmas market, rue Alsace-Lorraine, rue Saint-Rome and Matabiau station. “We occupy areas where there is delinquency, where people can feel a certain insecurity,” said Jean-Cyrille Reymond. Dozens of passers-by are arrested. The police ask them for identification. The approach does not please everyone, but the people interviewed note a calmer climate than in previous years. “We feel less tension. When I walk, I’m always afraid that someone will tear my pocket. With the police nearby, thieves are less tempted”, imagines Céline, a mother.
This teacher is right since violent thefts are down sharply compared to 2021. “We see a drop of -20%. For violence in transport, it decreases by 32%”, recalls Etienne Guyot, the prefect of Haute -Garonne.
The presence of 510 CCTV cameras is not unrelated to these good figures. “We have reinforced the technological and human resources. To supplement the police force, the town hall of Toulouse also employs 370 municipal police officers. And they should be 410 at the end of 2023”.