The sick leaves follow one another at the Berck police station: at least a dozen police officers are arrestedthis Tuesday, May 21, and have been complaining of headaches and nausea for just over two weeks.
This is not the first time that this police station, which has 68 agents, has been affected by a phenomenon strong unpleasant odors emanating from the floor and cause these kinds of symptoms. It started in the early 2010s, but the source of these fumes remains unknown.
The Pas-de-Calais prefecture claims to be “fully mobilized“, she launched a environmental investigation. It also recalls that no link has been formally established between these symptoms and the suspicious smells.
Transfer requests
But the situation is getting more and more complicated for the police. Their troubles resumed at the beginning of the month: nosebleed, headache, sore throat and eyes. Some were even forced to go out in the middle of their session, this Monday, to be able to breathe better. To the point that some have filed transfer requests: working at Berck becomes unbearable for them, say the unions.
A fed up which also comes from the fact that the problem has been going on for almost 10 years, with waves, in 2014, in 2017, but it’s still unclear where these smells come from, or their lasting effects on health. Readings are being taken at the moment by a specialized company which has installed sensorsand each police officer will have to do medical analyses, details the prefecture.
Emergency measures
“It’s always the same scenario“, laments Arnaud Moreau, delegate Unit SGP Police-FO 62. “We were promised relocation as soon as possible 5 years ago, we installed them in prefabs. It was supposed to be temporary, it’s been going on for 5 years.“While acknowledging the responsiveness of the prefecture on the launch of the environmental investigation, he asks for a emergency move.
The prefecture for its part ensures that it is studying a transfer of staff to the Touquet-Paris-Plage police station, 18 kilometers away. A “transitional accommodation solution“, pending the construction of a new police station in the northern part of Berck. The start of the work is scheduled for early 2024, for an end in 2026.