this suburban district of Val-d'Oise reeling from burglaries

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“I could use some reassurance. It worries me to know that people can come into our house at night in our presence to commit burglaries. It scares me.” “I have been robbed twice at night in one year: computer, handbag, car…” “My house has become a bunker. I am traumatized. Now, when I mow, I close everything and set the alarm…”

“It scares me”

In Les Clairières, a peaceful suburban neighborhood on the edge of the Cergy woods (Val-d'Oise), psychosis has taken hold. Over the past year, 28 burglaries have been committed in this residential complex of 145 buildings. Most often at night when the occupants are sound asleep.

Faced with this palpable insecurity, a meeting was organized last week at the Lcr des Châteaux at the initiative of the City, in the presence of divisional commissioner Thierry Hue-Lacointe, head of the Cergy district. With the assigned objective of trying to reassure uneasy residents.

“Do not believe that we are powerless in the face of the delinquency of which you are victims. You undoubtedly have things to reproach us for and that is your right, I am here to listen to you. In 2024, you were the victim of a team that worked on your sector and was very active. But it will inevitably go down because one of the people who committed these burglaries is now sleeping in prison. »

“We have to find solutions,” urges a local resident. Can't you patrol more? » “In Cergy, there are fewer burglaries than last year. You should know that in 50% of burglaries, there is a place that remains open. Everyone must protect themselves,” replies the commissioner.

Before playing fair in front of the fifty residents waiting for answers. “There is a scale to the crimes, attacks on people are obviously more serious than attacks on property. We are putting more investigators and human resources into attacks against people.”

WhatsApp Loop

“Turning off public lighting makes burglaries easier,” accuses this other resident. “It’s false,” cuts short the PS mayor of Cergy, Jean-Paul Jeandon. “We have municipal police who work until 2 a.m., we have a hole at night between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. and the burglars know it well. You have a group of people who have scouted and are typing, lighting or not, it doesn't change anything. This has been verified in several towns in the metropolitan area. In Menucourt, everything is dark and there are no more burglaries than before. The advice I give is to create a WhatsApp loop, which is what we did in my co-ownership, and to send us the information if spotted. We must also report complaints to us; if we have several complaints in two or three weeks in the same neighborhood, we can react. »

For the mayor of Cergy, the cause of all the problems lies elsewhere: in the lack of police personnel. “The commissioner cannot tell you that because he has a duty of confidentiality, but I am telling you. I've been fighting for years to have more police officers. I can't do it. When five arrive, there are five who leave…”

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