Twelve new municipal police officers were recruited in Roanne, allowing the creation of a night brigade. It begins its service this Monday, July 1st in the evening.
Just a year ago, Roanne was plunged into urban violence, which occurred after the death of Nahel. One district, that of the Parc, was particularly affected, with significant damage noted, notably at the CFA-BTP, at the social center, as well as in several businesses including Centrakor. “Thanks to the municipal and national police, we avoided a fire in the city center,” declared Yves Nicolin, when presenting the new night brigade of the Municipal Police (PM), this Monday, July 1.
It is at night that we must further secure our city and certain sectors in particular.
“We, immediately after that, decided to make a strong choice: that of considerably increasing the number of municipal police officers by recruiting 12 additional officials,” detailed the mayor of Roanne. This brings the total workforce to 51, including 33 municipal police officers. Announced in September, this implementation took time for the recruitment, selection, training and equipment of new members of the service.
750,000 euros extra each year
Because, Yves Nicolin recalled, “we are part of these municipal police forces that provide agents with large resources”: lethal weaponry, body cameras, specific means of communication, vehicles… In total, this represents a cost of 750,000 euros extra per year. “It is a heavy investment, but necessary and well thought out. And it is thanks to the work of ASVP agents and the fines issued for parking that we can finance it,” he noted.
“Those who go out at night, go out more in the summer. It’s a breed that likes heat and good weather. In the winter, they are more peaceful.”
Yves Nicolin (Mayor of Roanne)
The recruitment of these new police officers will ensure a nighttime presence in the streets of the Loire sub-prefecture, starting this Monday, July 1st in the evening. The service will last until 2:30 in the morning and until midnight on Sundays and Mondays. But these hours may change, “depending on the problems encountered during the summer”. “Because those who go out at night, go out more in the summer. They are a breed that likes heat and good weather. In winter, they are more peaceful”, explained the city councilor.
“It is at night that we must further secure our city and certain sectors in particular. Roanne is the only city in the Loire to have had a slight drop in acts of delinquency and incivility in 2023. Even though we have suffered urban violence that same year, without them, the drop would have been very strong”, argued Yves Nicolin.
Zero insecurity does not exist, but I think we now have the means to achieve very good results. Roanne is a city that remains peaceful, apart from a few irruptions from time to time. Our goal is for it to remain so and to be even more so.
At the head of this new night brigade, there will be Arnaud*, who has just arrived from the municipal police of Riorges, “who wanted to find a large PM to work at night on public peace”. His assistant, Nathan*, already knows Roanne very well having worked there since 2019.
Also in the workforce will be Benjamin*, until now in the Villeurbanne night brigade, Sébastien*, who worked for the municipal police of Vaulx-en-Velin, or even Jean*, originally from Roan, who carried out a reconversion after 20 years spent in the air force in Lyon.
Pauline Michaud
* assumed first names
