Due to the low recovery rate, Emmanuel Macron announced, in an interview with “La Provence”, that fines for possession or consumption of cannabis “can be paid immediately”, by credit card or in cash.
“We are going to turn into a collection agent for the public treasury”regretted Monday June 26 on franceinfo Jean-Christophe Couvy, national secretary unit SGP-police Force Ouvrière while Emmanuel Macron announced in an interview with Provence that fines for possession or consumption of cannabis “can be paid immediately”, by bank card or in cash.
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Jean-Christophe Couvy “has a doubt” on the capacity of the“administration to transform good ideas on the ground”. According to him, this measure will not change much: “We will continue to do as we usually did, that is to say give the fixed fine and then have it paid later”he said.
The union representative listed the many difficulties that the police could encounter. He pointed the “additional charge” by asking to “support terminals”. In all, 5,000 payment terminals will equip agents by the end of the summer, announced the head of state. Moreover, Jean-Christophe Couvy does not see favorably the fact of“have cash on you” in the field.
He believes that this measure can put the police in delicate situations: “Imagine the tension you are going to have in the field with the person who is often already carrying a little narcotics. You are going to say to him ‘Sir, we are going to accompany you to a bank or a counter and you are going to give us spontaneously your money'”he quipped.
A low recovery rate
The trade unionist also points out that a certain number of people arrested “are under guardianship or curatorship. I’m not sure either that these people have money on them”, he points out. Minors will also not be concerned since they “don’t pay a fine”he explains while the Head of State was worried about the low rate of collection of criminal fixed fines (AFD).
“AFD on paper may be a good idea, but in reality, when you only have a 30 to 35% recovery rate, it’s a bit of a failure. It’s a bitter taste . It means that we really work for nothing and there are plenty of people who fall through the cracks.”
Jean-Christophe Couvy, national secretary unit SGP-police Force Ouvrièreat franceinfo
Jean-Christophe Couvy does not understand, moreover, why the figure is so low: “When you do not pay a fine, after a certain time, your accounts are blocked. And then the Public Treasury uses your accounts. And why would it not work on the AFDs”he asks himself.
It is therefore awaiting the content of the implementing decree to determine the benefits of this new measure. He admits that it can increase the recovery rate: “We take all the good ideas. But now, it is once again the capacity that our ministry, the ministries in general, will have to transform these ideas on the ground”he explained.