This is not the solution expected by the groups of local residents, but the mayor of Paris is putting forward proposals to resolve the crack crisis which has been bogged down around the Eole garden for several weeks. Anne Hidalgo presented during a meeting with residents organized Monday evening four new drug consumption sites, in the 10th, 19th and 20th arrondissements of the capital, as well as the adaptation of existing rooms, proposals from a letter to the Premier Minister Jean Castex that 20 minutes procured.
The first place proposed would be in the Pelleport district, in the 20th arrondissement, and would be “suitable for day / night reception and care activity”. It should be “operational before the end of the year” promises the town hall. Two sites would also be installed in the Grands-Boulevards district, “on the border between central Paris and the 10th arrondissement”, one of which would be “operational before the end of the year”, without it being specified whether these sites would operate at night as well. Finally, another site would take place in the north of the 19th arrondissement. It would only be open during the day, and “dedicated to women drug users in the north of the 19th arrondissement”, “in order to fight against the specific violence to which they are subjected”.
Rooms available immediately in the 18th
Anne Hidalgo also proposes to develop existing care systems in the 18th arrondissement which today do not allow drug consumption. It would be a question of “increasing the financial means of these places” according to the letter, as well as the “proposals and services” which are proposed there. According to a resident present at the meeting, the mayor wants to allow the consumption of crack in these rooms, which would have the advantage of providing places quickly.
Another notable proposal of this letter, the town hall calls on the government to fight “the fixing point of the rue Riquet in 19th century Paris”, a long-standing request from associations since the evacuation of the Jardin d’Eole.
Local residents also want short-term solutions
Kamel, behind the Twitter account @StopCrackEole and who was present at the meeting, is disappointed with the proposals presented to them. “Anne Hidalgo sent a letter dated today, that means that all summer, nothing has been done”, laments the resident, who says he is skeptical about the possibility of quickly implementing the measures proposed, while the government has still not given the green light to the extension of the experiment of the shooting room of the Lariboisière hospital in the 10th district and that the Minister of Health and that of the Interior appear divided on this topic.
Above all, Kamel believes that these proposals are “medium term”, but that there is no short-term solution to resolve the problems of insecurity around the garden of Eole, and in particular the point of attachment of the rue Riquet. Anne Hidalgo made a good commitment during the meeting to organize a meeting with the prefect Lallement on the subject, but Kamel is skeptical as to what could come out of it.
The prefect indeed proposed in July to the town hall to move crack consumers to Place Auguste-Baron, in the 19th arrondissement, a proposal refused by the town hall, which does not wish to recreate a fixing point elsewhere. If there is a new meeting, “the prefect will tell him that he has offered him a new place,” said Kamel, disillusioned, who nevertheless founds his slim hopes in this next meeting.
“We pay the price for their disagreements”
Same mixed reaction for Matthieu, behind the Renaissance Eole collective, who “greets” he says the announcement on the desire to create places that are not only places of drug consumption, “but also accommodation and care. “, But adds that” that does not answer the problem of urgency “.
“They have already lined up fifteen trucks around Stalingrad,” says Matthieu, “why don’t they want to put at least one truck near Aeolus? That they put a police truck to secure at the corner of the rue Riquet, that we do not be afraid. “He adds:” As they have not managed to come to an agreement, we are paying the price. “