While the tension had subsided after the Paris 2024 Olympics, a new front opened for the Lyon security forces. The administrative detention center (CRA) in Lyon, responsible for welcoming people in an irregular situation, faces a recurring problem for the police: lack of staff. “We have a lot of problems linked to understaffing”denounces Alain Barberis.
An observation which particularly resonates after a period of uncertainty caused by the prolonged absence of the gendarmes, initially responsible for the management of CRA 1. The gendarmes, mobilized for the Olympics since June 30, were to take over the management of CRA 1 from from September 15. But, taking advantage of the “fluctuation” caused by the change of government and the resignation of the Minister of the Interior, they delayed their return.
“They played for time”explains Alain Barberis, leaving the border police (PAF) to manage alone, despite a glaring lack of human resources. The situation only finally resolved on October 21, the date on which the gendarmes temporarily took over the management of CRA 1. In fact, this solution was only short-lived: the national police will finally have to recover the center by next September.
Untrained reinforcements?
In Lyon, there is currently a shortage of 450 police officers in all branches, a deficit which weighs heavily on the management of the CRA. “It will take 160 new recruits to be able to “arm” this CRA”adds the trade unionist, recalling that by September 2025, the PAF must be able to regain full control of the Saint-Exupéry center in addition to its neighbor CRA 2.
The temporary management of the gendarmes has in no way resolved the basic problem. Since mid-September, in the absence of specialized reinforcements, police officers from other units, as emergency police, have been seconded to cover the needs of the CRA: “We send colleagues who are not trained to manage detainees”.
This has resulted in a decline in the visibility of law enforcement in other priority sectors, creating a vicious circle where general public security is undermined. The effects of this lack of personnel were also felt on the daily security of the CRAs. The police officers sent as reinforcements, not being specialized in this area, created risks for both the detainees and the staff. The lack of personnel was such that it was necessary to call on reinforcements from the entire Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
This shows the extent of staff reassignments to compensate for the deficit at the CRA. A total of 140 police officers had to be mobilized day and night to ensure the security of CRA 1, including agents usually assigned to CRA 2, which weakened the latter.
“The border police, which manages CRA 2, sent around 50 police officers per day to reinforce CRA 1”specifies Alain Barberis. In the meantime, the Alliance union is boycotting administrative authorities, demanding a “exceptional movement” to fill the staff shortage and restore normal management.
