He no longer wants illegal settlements by Travelers, and for this, he is ready to call on the municipal police. The mayor of Metz, François Grosdidier, spoke and took a position in an interview with our colleagues of the Weekon November 23. According to him, dialogue has proven its limits.
The question causes a lot of tension. In Moselle, numerous illegal installations and damage were reported throughout the summer, but also this fall, whether in the towns of Metz, Thionville, or in the country of three borders. And since the Moselle prefecture is taking too long, to the taste of certain elected officialsto act, François Grosdidier announces that he will act himself.
“We have invested, in the Metz Eurometropolis, five million euros to create a high-traffic area and reception areas, in accordance with the departmental plan for Travelers”recalls the mayor of Metz. “And we spend 600,000 euros on operations to manage these reception areas. But Travelers permanently set up in public car parks, but also private car parks and private properties. This is completely unacceptable”believes François Grosdidier. “It is an illegal act which is sometimes committed before the eyes of our agents,” he adds. “From now on, I will therefore instruct them to physically oppose the commission of a crime”concludes the elected official.
France Bleu Lorraine contacted the Moselle prefecture to find out whether municipal police officers had the legal right to act in the case of a Traveler settlement. The prefectural services have not yet provided a response. But François Grosdidier, for his part, considers that it is necessary “put things back in their rightful place”, and that police officers cannot stand by and do nothing if a crime is being committed.
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