“Place Nete doesn't stop when the police leave”: the example of the Saint-Martin district in Montpellier

Frédéric Poisot, secrétaire général de la rédaction. Midi Libre – JEAN-MICHEL MART

Shortly after his arrival in the fall of 2023, Prefect François-Xavier Lauch initiated the first Place nette operation in Hérault in the Saint-Martin estate. Secretary General Frédéric Poisot explains how the work continues on a daily basis in this neighborhood in the south of Montpellier. . 

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“We must harass the offender and continue to occupy the field. Saint-Martin is a police operation per day, of course not on the scale of the first one”, indicates the Secretary General of the Prefecture, Frédéric Poisot. After the “very offensive” phase conducted a year ago, “with more than 400 people involved in the field, twenty arrests for drug trafficking, possession of weapons or violence, and eleven police custody”, police and judicial work continues, whether visibly or not.

“Place nette doesn't stop when the police leave. If residents feel like we've just hit the anthill, that's not it at all”, insists Frédéric Poisot. 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, “a significant propensity to move towards hard drugs” is evident. “Some businesses participate in the laundering of drug trafficking, but also in illegal immigration networks. We, like the public prosecutor, will not give up.”

Property crimes down 25%

In addition to drugs, “cleaning up” 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%, armed robberies also down 25%, robberies with entry by trickery into buildings down almost 60%. More than 25% decrease in property damage, and 12 to 13% for car thefts.”

Frédéric Poisot notes the importance of acting on public spaces, “like trimming hedges that obstruct visibility. This deters 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, National Education.”

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