The Paris roller-skating brigade in operation "zero delinquency JO"

• In the wheels of the roller brigade of the BTC Louvre - Paris center,

  20 Minutes

  (by bike) was able to take the measure of the popularity of these agents on four wheels.

• Accustomed to this area, which they know by heart, the police do as much prevention and intelligence as they do intervention.

• “This direct contact with fluid and friendly people is really a plus of our job, confides Gaël, one of the three police officers on duty that day, who did not notice any difference in relation to their missions. daily.

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 » They are smiling, available, almost as famous as the Mona Lisa or the Venus de Milo and are mounted on four wheels, who are they?

The territorial contact brigade (BTC) Louvre - Paris center, roller-skating unit, the only one within the national police.

Accustomed to surveying the tourist center of the capital, this special team of nine members is particularly mobilized within the framework of the "zero crime JO" plan, "even if for us, the missions are no different from our daily lives", slips one of them.

By following the only police brigade on rollerblades in the streets of the capital,

(by bike, accidents at work happened so quickly!) were able to chat with three of them.

They will be baptized Gaël, Antoine and Basile.

Under the orders of Captain Soulié, they therefore patrol the tourist areas of Notre-Dame, the Louvre, the Hôtel de Ville and even Place Vendôme.

"The particularity of rollerblading is that they can move around very easily on the intervention sites and that they are also very visible and accessible", lists their leader.

“Dissuade potential offenders and reassure the population”

After the announcements of the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, at the end of October, the “zero crime Olympic Games” operations were launched in the process in order to secure in particular the places of demonstration for Paris-2024.

For the roller unit of the BTC Louvre - Paris center, it is an operation at least every week.

"The goal is to be present in a given sector and to show up to dissuade potential perpetrators of offenses from committing their misdeeds, as well as to reassure the population", explains Captain Soulié.

Showing off is a bit of second nature for this brigade, created about twenty years ago, and whose close link with the population is particularly anchored.

Strolling after them on the cycle paths in the center of Paris,

quickly noticed the surprised, amused or even questioning looks in front of this roller patrol.

"Most of the time, passersby are curious, rarely disrespectful," says Gaël, whose popularity rating is clearly high.

“It happens that we spend a good 15 minutes there.

It's a chain phenomenon: when one asks for a photo or information, it must reassure the others, and then they are uninhibited and almost line up, ”adds Basile, laughing.

And to validate a triple account word selfie?

"Oh well if it's a photo where there is the brigade on rollerblades and the Republican Guard, it's a jackpot", they joke, when they meet their colleagues perched on their mount, rue de Rivoli.

“Six floors without a lift on rollerblades is sport”

For these police officers as comfortable on four wheels as in front of the camera, the prospect of the Olympic Games and the resulting security operations do not change much in their daily lives.

"Their priority mission and the reason for which it was imagined in 2001, is the securing of tourist sites and the fight against crime linked to tourist phenomena, namely street vendors, pickpockets and against all scams that can affect tourists, such as bento players, petition scams, ”recalls Captain Soulié.

They can also intervene in any emergency police operation.

Antoine remembers an intervention on the 6th floor without a lift: "It's sport to go up and down the stairs on rollerblades, but we are trained".

"Anyway, we're not going to put the rollers down before intervening," he jokes.

Arriving on the Louvre esplanade, the three police officers immediately spot the street vendors.

"There are choufs", or lookouts who warn these petty criminals.

By slaloming between tourists, their mere presence makes it possible to stop or at least temporarily slow down this type of infringement.

"They see us and put away their gear as long as we're there," notes Antoine, before accepting a new selfie.

“This direct contact with fluid and friendly people is really a plus of our job, loose Gaël.

Even if spending eight hours on rollerblades is physically demanding, especially the first year, it's a real chance to be able to enjoy all these magnificent places in Paris while doing our job.

"And then sometimes, we drive just for us," adds Antoine.

Not to the point of doing backflips, but we still have the level to have fun.

The three police officers hope to emulate and inspire other colleagues to join them in carrying out their mission.

"We should even have a new one in 2023, a young person who regularly roller-bladed on the Place du Palais-Royal and who, seeing our brigade, found his vocation", says Antoine, proud to be a source of inspiration.

" Him,

he has a great level.

“To the point of making it a candidate for the Olympics?

At least in the security forces, within the "zero crime JO" brigades.

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• Paris 2024 Olympics

• Roller

• Police

• Paris

• Ile-de-France

• Prefecture

• Miscellaneous Paris