He did not choose the right time, Wednesday, to walk on the platform of a station of the northern tram in Strasbourg. Deep in his pocket, an Opinel knife. Around him, three national police officers, the Public Transport Security Brigade (BSTC). Confiscated weapon, minor checks, identity checks… As a minor, he will immediately be taken to the police station to be presented to a judicial police officer, before his parents come to pick him up.
Security operations, there are more than one might think on the network of the Compagnie des transports strasbourgeois (CTS). Police checks, in civilian clothes, in uniform, men and women, which complement the operations of the CTS security agents. From early morning to late evening, it is in fact 21 police officers from the BSTC who take turns to carry out operations on the entire network, but often also on difficult sectors. The so-called priority districts, the station, Place Kléber in the hypercentre, but also all comers, according to the routes, their intuition or according to the requisitions. Operations regularly reinforced by the canine brigade, but also to support the controllers of the Compagnie des transports strasbourgeois (CTS).
Arrests on the rise
Thefts, assaults, narcotics, recalcitrant attitudes with the controllers, everything is good in the wagon. Results, the facts observed (400 in 2022) have almost doubled compared to 2021, even if it is emphasized by the authorities that the Strasbourg tram is safe. Almost as many for arrests for assault (96 in 2023). Moreover, arrests for theft and concealment of theft have not far from having tripled since 2021 (164 in 2022), those of people arrested for offenses against narcotics legislation have also increased, list the director of the DDSP67 Laurent Tarasco.
Effectiveness of controls or real increase in infringements? “Video surveillance has become an essential, key element for securing public transport,” explains police Major Sébastien Raimbault. On request, we can work on the videos in order to identify the perpetrators and challenge them afterwards. This represents around 50% of the arrests, ”says the major. “Recently, during a theft (of a phone) in a meeting with violence in the tram, the main perpetrator was identified thanks to the analysis of video surveillance images. He was sentenced to nine months in prison”, illustrates the major. Video surveillance, Neo telephone connected to police files and which can directly verbalize, it is better to stay on the right track.
On the CTS controller side, the presence of the police is “reassuring” and “very much appreciated”. “There should even be more,” confides one of them. And that’s fine. Even if additional police personnel are not on the agenda, the upcoming extension of the tram network and the High Service Bus could perhaps lead to a few more assignments to the BSTC. “This will be studied at that time, adapted and appropriate to future needs,” it says on the side of the prefecture.
