In Essonne, where two teenagers have been killed in recent weeks in brawls, local actors are betting on better surveillance systems for suspicious crowds, but also on more effective reporting and prevention from an early age.
Notably thanks to surveillance from ... an airplane.
REPORT
How to put an end to the spiral of violence between gangs in Ile-de-France?
Two weeks after the death of two teenagers stabbed during brawls between young people, the Ministry of the Interior brought together local actors last week to try to find solutions.
And on the spot, the police insist on more effective surveillance and intervention capacity as well as on the importance of prevention.
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In Essonne, a whole system has been set up, including in the air.
A PAF plane, in which Europe 1 was able to board, is thus specialized in the fight against urban violence, and since the tragedies of two weeks ago, the agents have been very vigilant to suspicious crowds.
This small four-seater aircraft flies over all the sensitive districts of the department: Etampes, Evry, Grigny, Corbeil-Essonnes, Epinay-sous-Sénart, etc.
© Justin Morin / Europe 1
The plane makes it possible to monitor the bands on the ground. Justin Morin / Europe 1
After reporting the start of a brawl near a high school in Brétigny-sur-Orge, at an altitude of 300 meters, the plane turned to its right.
On the ground, the police saw from the plane groups of young people running in several directions and guide the teams that remained on the ground.
The essential prevention
In the game of cat and mouse in which young people and law enforcement engage, this plane is clearly a step ahead of the gangs.
Some hid in thickets, but at no time were they lost to sight.
Returning to the ground, Patrick, one of the agents, explains to Europe 1 that their action also makes it possible to avoid aftershocks.
"Obviously, in Brétigny, it went well, there were no injuries. There were checks and arrests," he explains.
And to add: "There are units which will seek to prevent these facts. But us, it is at the moment that we must intervene".
As Patrick points out, prevention work is obviously essential.
And there too, measures have been taken, as in Boussy-Saint-Antoine, the town where one of the two teenagers was killed.
The priority is intelligence, raising "weak signals".
The important role of bus drivers
The national police have just set up an operational partnership group, which held its first meeting since the tragedy.
Invited to this meeting: mayors, municipal police, directors of middle and high schools said to be sensitive, territorial intelligence agents, but also bus drivers who see and hear a lot of things.
"There are considerable efforts being put in place by carriers to train their drivers in the detection of weak signals and the instantaneous feedback of information so that we can thwart clashes", explains Commissioner Laurent to Europe 1. Boisset, the industry leader.
All these local players are now connected in a conversation on an encrypted messaging.
A necessary device, according to the mayor of Boussy-Saint-Antoine Romain Colas, who also believes that we must forget the old resentment between neighborhoods.
"We have a huge educational job to do," he says.
"With the mayors of neighboring municipalities, we will work on elementary school children, those we have in our recreation centers, to ensure that they spend time together, with the hope that if these children fraternize at 8, 9, 10, they don't hit each other at 12. "