The businesses of Béziers were not spared this beginning of the year by burglary. According to our information, offenses increased by more than 333% in the first quarter of 2022. Some 47 complaints were filed with the Béziers police station, compared to only 14 over the same period in 2021.
We have to go back to 2019 to observe the same trend. The most affected are tobacco shops and establishments specializing in fast food, such as McDonald’s and Burger King. Offenders are persuaded to find euros in cash there.
Faced with this economic upsurge, significant means have been put in place by the national police to stop this significant increase. The teams of the investigation services were assigned at night, thus reinforcing those of the anti-crime brigade.
This strategy ended up paying off quickly allowing the arrest of three teams alone responsible for at least half of the facts identified. These are local only. One of the perpetrators acted alone. This man, well known to the authorities, had been released from prison six months earlier. This Biterrois was serving a prison sentence after being arrested for the same facts in 2019. All have since been presented for immediate appearance and found guilty.
Generally, break-ins have been falling since 2019, all sectors combined: 463 complaints recorded in 2021 compared to 22% more three years earlier. This (downward) trend is also observed among individuals, even if the number of burglaries remains very high: 343 victims in 2021, compared to 366 the previous year. This drop is also quite marked in the first quarter: 53 individuals were the target of criminals, while complaints were twice as high in 2020 (122 complaints recorded).
Since April, burglaries in businesses have stagnated. But what will happen in the coming months, with sunny days and the arrival of a new summer population?