Stéphane Place (in Bordeaux) // Photo credit: 6:22 a.m., February 13, 2024
This situation has persisted for years in the Capucins district. In the center of Bordeaux, residents denounce the sale of drugs in these streets, and also complain about the noise and the insecurity which ruins their lives. For its part, the municipality insists on its efforts to fight against drug trafficking, alcohol on public roads, incivility and asks the State to intensify operations against these dealers.
“The dealers are right at home there.” For two years this student has lived in the Capucins district, under the windows of his apartment, deal points and incivility punctuate his daily life. “Every time I go home, people ask me if I want hash, if I want weed. Something. Especially the noise in the evening until 1 a.m.,” explains this student.
“In my car, several times, I found drugs hidden in the bumper”
A situation which is not new, residents explain, but which deteriorated after confinement. Christophe moved here in 2020. "In my car, several times, I found drugs hidden in the rear bumper and when leaving, they ran after me saying 'oh wait for a boss, I get my drugs back'. They make holes in the flower pots and to put drugs in. In short, they hide them everywhere,” explains the local resident.
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New deputy mayor of Bordeaux, Marc Etcheverry is in charge of security and says that the city is doing everything to reduce drug trafficking and daily incivility. “Two months ago, the national police carried out a very successful seizure operation, approximately a kilogram of cocaine, which was made possible by the installation by the Bordeaux town hall of these three video protection cameras. Installation which will be reinforced in a few weeks with a fourth camera. And the sector is currently the area of Bordeaux in which we deploy the most municipal police officers,” says the elected official.
And at the end of last week, the mayor of Bordeaux, Pierre Hurmic, asked the prefect for more action by the national police in this district. For their part, residents demonstrated - a first - in front of City Hall last weekend