The Haute-Saône department is chosen as an experiment for what the gendarmerie in rural areas of tomorrow may become in France. Traveling this Thursday in the Haute-Saône department, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin wanted to show the means deployed by the government to strengthen the presence of the gendarmerie in rural areas.
Laying of the first stone in Champagney
In Champagney, we have been waiting for a new gendarmerie for twenty years. Currently, the gendarmes are spread over three different sites in dilapidated premises. The LREM deputy Christophe Lejeune fought to advance the old file which no longer advanced the construction of a new gendarmerie. The Minister of the Interior laid the first stone of this future gendarmerie whose work, which will last two years, will begin this year. This new gendarmerie and its technical rooms will also include 19 housing units for gendarmes and their families, it will emerge from the ground at the entrance to the town of Champagney, on the ballastières campsite side, just in front of the fire station.
– Jean-Francois Fernandez
Signature of an agreement in Melisey
In Melisey, the Minister of the Interior signed an agreement with the Community of Communes of the Pays des Mille Etangs for the establishment of gendarmerie hotlines.
It is its president, Régis Pinot who signed this agreement, he fought for keep the presence of the gendarmes in this rural area. The current Melisey gendarmerie is only open for a few days. In this agreement, the gendarmerie will hold hotlines on the same opening days as the France Services house inaugurated by Prime Minister Jean Castex in July 2021. The gendarmes will also be able to go to populations who cannot move. It is an experiment of permanence of the gendarmerie in the municipality, which should foreshadow the presence of the gendarmerie in rural areas at the national level.
– Jean-Francois Fernandez
Creation of 3 new brigades by 2027
Monday, Emmanuel Macron announced the creation by 2027 of 200 gendarmerie brigades, Gérald Darmanin took advantage of his visit to announce that for Haute-Saône, three new gendarmerie brigades will be created. Arbitrations with the prefecture will begin in the coming weeks to determine in which cities they will be open.
27 new positions for the Vesoul police station
Last September, an allocation of 24 additional positions was announced for the national police in Vesoul. With the last staff due to arrive in February, a total of 27 new police posts are coming to strengthen the staff at the Vesoul police station. Gérald Darmanin specifies “This is a 60% increase in the workforce”.
These additional police officers therefore reinforce the actions of the Vesoul police station both in the field and in the offices.
More people, more equipment too, Gérald Darmanin specifies that there was also an endowment of new vehicles, and individual chest cameras for the police officers. With the new computer system, they will soon be able to read the images recorded in the field directly on their tablets.
– Jean-Francois Fernandez
Faced with this increase in staff, the mayor of Vesoul Alain Chrétien proposes tostudy the creation of a new, larger police station in Vesoul. Before taking the direction of BA 116 in Luxeuil to return to Paris, the Minister of the Interior accepts the principle of this study proposal.