Deal, security, living environment: one year after the “clean place” operation, where is the Saint-Martin district in Montpellier ?

Highly visible police operations had been carried out in the neighborhood a year ago. Midi Libre – JEAN-MICHEL MART

A year ago, between the end of November and the beginning of December 2023, the Saint-Martin neighborhood, south of Montpellier, was the first in the city to be the subject of a “clean sweep” operation, at the request of the public prosecutor. Today, the police describe a situation “under control”, while social initiatives are being implemented for young people in the neighborhood.

CRS vans lined up along the sidewalks, uniformed and plainclothes police officers busy inspecting buildings, garbage rooms, carrying out checks on the street: at the end of 2023, the Saint-Martin district inaugurated the “clean place” operations in Montpellier. Triggered by the public prosecutor, in consultation with the prefecture and the national police, this system aimed to eradicate drug trafficking, squatted halls and apartments, in a context that had become tense. “The drug dealing points generated nuisances and serious incidents. Late-night gatherings, gunshots. Graffiti and leaflets indicating the prices of narcotics”, recalls Divisional Commissioner Guillaume Carabin, at the Montpellier police station. Another notable event from this period: on October 19, 2023, a resident of the Saint-Martin tower was hit by bullet fragments in her bathroom, on the 5th floor, collateral victim of an intimidation shot.

11 kg of cannabis and nearly 1 kg of cocaine seized

Launched on November 27, 2023, the operation quickly bore fruit. The seizure of 11 kg of cannabis, several hundred capsules of cocaine (almost 1 kg), €11,000 in cash, and a long weapon. Squats were dismantled and around a hundred road and identity checks were carried out in the days and weeks that followed.“Beyond the judicial aspect, there has also been an improvement in the living environment: removal of tags that generate a lot of insecurity, removal of wrecks”, adds Divisional Commissioner Carabin.

Divisional Commissioner Guillaume Carabin highlights “the positive feedback” collected from residents during police patrols.

“Undermining work on drug dealing points”

A year later, where is the neighborhood? “The situation is under control. Since “place nette”, we have not had any new serious incidents in Saint-Martin”, observes the commissioner. “These operations work if they last. Even today, Saint-Martin is a sector where we are present every week, with operations requested by the public prosecutor's office. We are carrying out undermining work on drug dealing points”. Objective: to make it clear that the police are not giving up after the November-December 2023 crackdown. This does not only concern drugs. “A barber who had been fined during “place nette” for commercial and of illegal tobacco sales, was checked again last week, and fined again”. Result: a peaceful living environment for residents. “The feedback from the population is positive. People say they are satisfied during the foot patrol contacts. It is a sign of work that is bearing fruit.”

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“Place nette has become part of the daily life of the services”

One of the difficulties of this police work: “coordinating an effective, discreet and rapid judicial operation, while carrying out much more visible actions, without one disrupting the others. From this point of view, Saint-Martin was a trial run. Today, it has become part of the daily life of the police services”, observes the commissioner (read below).

Police, administrations, social landlords: “360° operations”

“Clear place” : "Operations é 360°", summarizes divisional commissioner Guillaume Carabin (photo DIPN 34). "They involve all the police services concerned: security; public, judicial police, border police, CRS, municipal police." These coordinated actions, also carried out This year, in Montasinos, in March, and in Gambetta-Clemenceau, in November, they involve other administrations such as customs, Urssaf or the management of ;departmental public finances. The contribution of donors is also essential: “They play an intelligence role because they are as close as possible to the reality on the ground. They have their role to play when we uncover tenants who are using their accommodation for criminal purposes.” Tam's agents also provided assistance to through their interventions in public transport.

“A police operation per day in the neighborhood”

“We must harass the offender and continue to occupy the field. Saint-Martin, it's a police operation per day, of course not on the scale of the first”, indicates the secretary general of the prefecture, Frédéric Poisot (photo J.M. M.). After the phase “very offensive”  conducted a year ago, “with more than 400 people engaged on the ground, twenty arrests for drug trafficking, possession of weapons or violence, and eleven guards at view", police and judicial work continues, visibly or not. "Place nette does not stop when the police leave. If residents have the feeling that we have only tapped into the anthill, it is not at all ", insists Frédéric Poisot. The drug dealing points ? “They were shaken up during last year's operation, but it's a daily battle. A fight against the dealer, his organization, but also the consumer.” In addition to cannabis resin, there is a significant tendency to move towards hard drugs.” "Some businesses participate in laundering drug trafficking, but also in illegal immigration networks. We, like the public prosecutor, will not give up anything."

Crimes against property down 25%

In addition to drugs, “clean space” is also a comprehensive approach to “restoring order”. The secretary general of the prefecture gives indicators of success in Saint-Martin: “A decrease in property crimes of around 25%, thefts from armed robbery also down 25%, thefts with entry by trickery into buildings down nearly 60%. More than 25% decrease in damage to property, and 12 to 13% for thefts from trailers.”
Frédéric Poisot notes the importance of acting on public spaces, "such as trimming hedges that obstruct visibility. This deters the small delinquent fry". The same goes for public lighting, to prevent car thefts. Action, too, in the social field, in order to carry out structural action on the neighborhood. "We work with the City, associative partners, and the National Education system."

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