A man opened fire in the city center of Villerupt (Meurthe-et-Moselle), Saturday May 13, injuring five people, before fleeing. Pierrick Spizak, mayor of Villerupt, a small town near the border, is organizing a public meeting on Tuesday, May 30.
Pierrick Spizak, mayor of Villerupt, hopes to obtain more police personnel. But since the shooting on Saturday May 13, he does not feel heard at the top of the state, as he says. He points to drug trafficking, prostitution, which have settled in his city and which generate insecurity. A public meeting is organized, between the elected officials and the police, Tuesday, May 30, 2023.
A few hours before this meeting, Pierrick Spizak answers questions from France 3 Lorraine.
Mr. Mayor, you have invited elected officials and parliamentarians as well as police unions, the police commissioner and firefighters. What is the situation today in your city?
We must provide answers to security problems because we do not only have deal points. We also have prostitution, the slum landlords and tonight’s meeting is to remind the population that we are here, for their safety, and I cannot be blamed for that, even if today we are helpless.
You said : “It is high time for the State to take its responsibilities and provide concrete answers”. It is not too late ?
Today, young police officers stay for a year or two, then they go to Verdun, Thionville or Metz. In 2020, when the Covid came out, we alerted the Ministry of the Interior. The real question is why don’t young police officers stay here longer? We propose for example to retain young police officers, a bonus of 10,000 € over ten years, an increase in the residence allowance, and then the creation of a sector for example that of the BAC (the anti-crime brigade).
Since when did this traffic settle?
He’s been there for years. Today we suffer the consequences of the lack of means of the police. The shooting, of course, could have been avoided. The town of Villerupt is perhaps a little less attractive. But we must not forget that we are a constituency of 65,000 inhabitants and each time we do not count the border, Luxembourg and Belgium. What is missing is effective cooperation. The trafficker, he navigates between Villerupt, Luxembourg and Belgium.
Today we suffer the consequences of the lack of means of the police. The shooting, of course, could have been avoided.
Pierrick Spizak, mayor of Villerupt
Why do you think your requests have remained unanswered despite your numerous warnings about the lack of police personnel in the district?
We have an appointment at the Ministry of the Interior in Paris on Monday June 5 with the office of Minister Gérald Darmanin. With this question: How can the state intervene? Knowing that he must keep the commitments he made three years ago. From 2024, the workforce must be 104 police officers. But for now, there are only 78 police officers. Overall we are short of 30 police officers.
The alleged perpetrator of the shooting on Saturday May 13 was indicted and imprisoned. A judicial investigation for, among other things, assassination attempts has been opened.
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