At the exit of the checkouts, forms in hand, four police officers from the Roubaix police station go to meet the customers of this supermarket in Leers. The objective: to encourage them to participate in a survey conducted by the University of Savoie-Mont Blanc. In a few seconds the formalities are completed: just give your email address, the rest is anonymous. “The survey will be sent to them by March and will consist of around ten questions: everything is centered on their feelings / relationship with the police. It only takes five minutes“, explains Major Marco Gricini. And the reception is rather good on the side of the passers-by. “This is the first time I see this. They asked me how I felt and I liked it. We always see the police as robocops, in uniforms. There, we realize that we can talk to them, talk to them calmly. It’s good for us but also for them: they create a bond of trust“, confides Sofian behind his cart. This 43-year-old father filled out the form to receive the survey.”It’s important, I want to participate. We all need to live safe“, he adds, greeting the police before leaving.
At the reception, when you arrive to lodge a complaint, the agents are often a little bored with their day, their daily life. What for them is trivial, for a victim represents a lot and this coldness to demotivate us to go further in our steps.
Elodie is in her thirties. This young woman who lives in Roubaix, in a popular district, is also pleasantly surprised. “It’s the first time I’ve seen the police canvassing us in the middle of the shopping center so that we can give our opinion!“. She already knows the points she would like to see changed, particularly in police stations and the care of victims. “At the reception, when you arrive to lodge a complaint, the agents are often a little bored with their day, their daily life. What for them is harmless, for a victim represents a lot and this coldness to demotivate us to go further in our steps. We need more empathy. I understand that their job is hard, they have a lot of pressure. But it is a negative point to improve“, she notes.
– Marion FERRERE
In front of the stand, there is no break. There are always one or two customers who stop to inquire. Some start the conversation about safety, others about young people. “We need more dialogue before sanctioning, that the police go to them“, details a sexagenarian whose grandson has had some problems recently. Feedback “from experiences” that Major Gricini and his team take into account. “The main objective is there: to prove that the police are ready to dialogue, to receive criticism, to correct what they can. Our job is to protect and listen. It also feels good after these recent ones (health crisis and yellow vests) to be able to speak without tension. Creating a new dialogue is essential and it does us good“, he slips. Roubaix police officers have already collected around a hundred registrations to respond to this national survey. Other similar actions are planned for next January 26 and 287, again in Leers and Wasquehal.
A mailbox in Roubaix to contact the police station directly
As part of this rapprochement with the population, the Roubaix police station has also created a mailbox in order to receive the grievances of the inhabitants of the sector: [email protected] . No response is sent, but the police ensure that they take into account each email received.