By: V4 Agency
Officers demand appropriate protective clothing as they have been suffering a growing number of pyrotechnic attacks in certain “sensitive districts”. However, despite long years of promises, they still lack the sufficient fireproof clothing. The issue has become rather topical since officers have been under attack in a town near the capital for four days, being targeted with fireworks and Molotov cocktails – video.
The French police union Unite SGP Police has drawn the attention of Jean-Marie Salanova, central director of public security, to a burning issue, pointing out that officers deployed to maintain public order lack sufficient supplies of fire-resistant outfits, even though this type of clothing is badly needed, especially in the “sensitive districts”, Le Parisien writes.
In certain sensitive areas in the Ile-de-France region near Paris police officers are increasingly exposed to the risk of burns, as it has become common practice for offenders to hurl pyrotechnic devices at them.
Although the police union argues that having fireproof protective gear is an essential requirement for frontline officers, only thirty such outfits are available. The union estimates that they need at least five times as many, around 150 sets of protective clothing.
According to Claude Carillo, representative of the police union Alliance Police in Essonne department, officers have been asking for protective equipment for 5 years but have received none of the requested items. In October 2016, France was completely shocked by a fire attack against police officers committed by a group of around twenty youngsters. The group surrounded two police cars, smashed the windows, blocked the doors and then threw Molotov cocktails into the vehicles. The four police officers trapped inside stood no chance of escaping the burning vehicles.
The investigation led to the arrest of 13 people, including three minors. The court acquitted five of those charged but sentenced the other eight suspects to 10-20 years in prison for attempted murder. Linda Kebbab, a leader of the police union Unite SGP, found the sentence too lenient, saying those whose explicit aim is to murder police officers deserve a much harsher punishment.
The wave of serious attacks targeting officers continue unabated. One sad example is the series of attacks that have been going on for days in the municipality of Corbeille-Essonnes, in the Ile-de-France region near the capital. Arrests following an urban street race have led to clashes between police and criminals who have been throwing Molotov cocktails, fireworks and petanque balls at police for four days now.
The disturbances began on the night of 2 September, when a group of twenty people set fire to rubbish bins in the Tarterets district of the city, and then attacked police with petrol bombs.
According to a report by Actu.fr, the attack on police was triggered by officers stopping an urban motorbike race. The angry youth set hundreds of rubbish bins on fire and destroyed several CCTV cameras before mounting an attack against the officers arriving at the scene.
Press reports say the rioters vandalised two police cars and police have so far detained four people. In an attempt to calm the situation, the deputy mayor met with police and residents on Monday, but the meeting did not have much effect, as the officers’ car was damaged shortly after, Le Parisien wrote.
Although the situation is becoming all the more urgent, Jean-Marie Salanova said officers still have to wait for the proper equipment because of some logistical in the production process. This means that they can receive the fire-resistant gear early next year at the earliest. The head of the Directorate General for Public Security added that riot police will be the first to receive the protective suits, as they are the ones to be deployed to demonstrations, followed by those who serve in dangerous areas.
