Before the Paris Council, the police prefect defended his record in the fight against crack cocaine. According to him, consumers are now only concentrated in the 19th arrondissement and numerous arrests of dealers have been made.
Evacuations of chaotic camps, arrests. For several years, the fight against crack and its proliferation in Paris has intensified. Even more so a few months ago, when in the run-up to the Paris Olympic Games, the authorities showed their desire to “resolve” the problem before the competition.
A few months later, it is time to take stock. In Paris council this Wednesday, November 20, Laurent Nuñez, police prefect, spoke about the management of crack consumption in Paris. “The crack problem for me is no longer a police or justice problem. It is a health problem,” he told the assembly.
A “residual level” of consumers
An intervention which was applauded in the ranks of the left and by the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo. The prefect of police affirms that now, in Paris, there is a “residual level” of crack users and that they are located “in one place only in the north-east of Paris which is in the Linéaire sector” in the 19th arrondissement of Paris.
“These are consumers who wander in public spaces and this is no longer a security problem,” he later assured.
He indicated that he would go to these places, with “the district mayor” to explain to the population what is being done by the police headquarters in the fight against crack. .
Guest of BFMTV a few days ago, he explained that he had already intensified the fight. “We have never stopped arresting crack dealers. Every year, we double the number of arrests,” he insisted.
Nicolas Dumas with Martin Regley
