Two cases marked the gendarmerie sector of the Territoire de Belfort between the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025. The first concerns two young Belfort residents, aged 20 and 22, convicted of 31 caravan thefts in several municipalities in the Northern Territory and the Belfort agglomeration, between November 20 and January 2. The second concerns copper thefts in several municipalities in the Northern Territory, an investigation still ongoing.
However, these files did not motivate, this Friday, the organization of a “Serene Territory” operation. She was in the group's projects. “This is the fifth operation of this type in the department. The last one took place around Fontaine for Black Friday,” explains Cécilia Mourgues, sub-prefect and chief of staff of the prefect. “It aims to combine deterrence and reassuring presence. » Colonel Jacques Mérino, commander of the gendarmerie group, continues: “Our objective is to meet the expectations of elected officials and citizens through a massive and prolonged presence. »
Surprise and reassure
Throughout the day, around thirty gendarmes, including nine reservists, carried out 24 checks in the North Territory. They checked more than 80 vehicles and checked 90 people, recording three traffic offenses in the morning. “It’s about finding a balance between a visible presence and avoiding routines to surprise delinquents,” underlines Colonel Mérino. At the controls, drivers, past the element of surprise, thanked the soldiers for being there. “I was checked in Saint-Germain-le-Châtelet and Rougemont-le-Château in half an hour,” laughs a sixty-year-old. “This shows that the net is tight.”
-Other operations to prevent and combat road offenses are planned in the department.
