The municipal police who penalize excessive speeding by motorists? In Ham, the debate is open. Eric Legrand, mayor of Ham, announced that municipal police officers could be equipped with a speed control radar in 2025.
A proposal that initially surprised some residents: “Yes, municipal police officers are authorized to carry out speed checks “, confirms the first councilor, who notes that discussions are open on the subject: “Is it up to the municipality to do this? There are pros and cons on the usefulness of this measure,” notes the elected official from Hamois.
Residents demand more controls
The first councilor notes that local residents are requesting additional controls. “Every time I pass a street in the town, there are always residents who come to tell me that things drive way too fast in front of their homes! And that, regardless of where they live. I even hear that sometimes it goes over 100 km/h and that if there is an accident, I will be responsible! This feeling of speed comes back all the time…“.
These speed checks by these agents could therefore respond to this fear.
The Ham municipal police already had this function
However, the mayor of Ham points out that controls are not new: “This was done until ten or fifteen years ago. It was the community of communes of Pays Hamois which owned the speed radar. The community made it available to the local police and gendarmes. The radar was therefore shared but it belonged to the intercommunality.”
The local elected official remembers: “On the road to Saint-Quentin, there were always checks with the municipal police or the gendarmerie, or both who worked together. And then it stopped.”
Eric Legrand indicates that following the merger of the communities of communes of Pays Hamois and Pays Neslois, the new structure did not want to continue this approach. “At the time, the president of the intercommunality explained that it was not up to the municipalities to manage this, but rather to the State. In principle, he was right. Personally, I tend to agree with him. But if we have a majority that agrees with this principle, we will work on it… “.
The mayor of Ham notes that some local residents are moving in this direction, believing that “ Meanwhile, there are fewer speed controls and it would still be good if we did.. “.
More resources for municipal police officers?
Present at the public meeting at the town hall, Olivier Chapuis-Roux, president of the Friends of the Château association, is not convinced: “AToday, we (the municipality of Ham) do not have the human resources to carry out serious speed control. We are not equipped with vehicles to stop the person further away. Or, put on an automatic radar… “.
The debate then turned to the arrival or not of handguns for municipal police officers. “If we ask our municipal police to carry out speed checks, they must be armed “, indicated a local resident. “At speed checks, you can come across drunk or dangerous people. You have to be able to defend yourself….”.
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