“75-year-old grandmothers would rather take a bullet than let deal points sit at the bottom of their window,” says Tristan, a resident of Tonkin, a district of Villeurbanne, near Lyon. It refers to the last action of “Tonkin Peace-sible”, a collective which carries out actions to, among other things, “free the dealers”. The last one took place last Wednesday to “prevent a new crack sales point from setting up”. “We already have seven around us, it’s no longer possible,” he whispers.
He continues: “We are aware that we are taking risks. We’ve already had threats. But if we don’t do it, no one does. » He also specifies that, thanks to their exit, “they have given up on establishing themselves near us”. But Tristan is lucid, he knows that “it will start again somewhere else or later” because “the problem is not new”. In four days last week, three shootings took place in this neighborhood.
“Basically, in Tonkin, there is a good social mix, with schools and green spaces nearby. Everything is well served. There really is everything to be happy… But that also makes it a very good trading place for drugs, he notes. Before, there was already traffic, but not like this. »
Means deployed by the Rhône prefecture
“Our daily life is to live through shootings, in broken premises,” explains this Villeurbanne resident. In some buildings, the entrance was blocked preventing residents from directly accessing their accommodation. In others, common areas have become toilets. »
Before adding: “There are also two schools surrounded. Dealers have set up right across the street. » Last week’s violence took place near these establishments, forcing children to be confined inside the premises as a precaution. “How can we accept this? he asks. Every time they leave class, these children see drug traffickers in front of them! »
To “stop this cycle of violence”, a CRS brigade (between 50 and 60 police officers) was deployed all weekend by the Rhône prefect Fabienne Buccio. These reinforcements will be on site “as long as necessary”. “Daily security operations are also put in place. It is a variable but continuous commitment,” assures the prefecture. She emphasizes that the presence of police officers makes it possible to “hinder drug trafficking activity, carry out arrests and prevent possible violence”. The prefect also announced that she would create an information channel with the collectives.
The mayor calls for “specific means”
For Tristan, who moved to Tonkin in 2009, these measures will not put an end to the problem. “As soon as the last policeman leaves, business picks up,” he notes. Cédric Van Styvendael, PS mayor of Villeurbanne, shares the same opinion: “These measures disrupt traffic but residents told me again today that the dealers had simply moved three addresses. It’s good to have the presence of the CRS to calm the situation but that’s not how we’re going to solve the problem. »
And the chosen one knows something about it. The day after his election, in July 2020, a shooting broke out in the neighborhood. Following numerous working meetings with state services, he responded to requests concerning an increase in the number of municipal police officers, video surveillance and access to video streams. “We did the job. In addition, the prevention, social and cultural actions part was also deployed, he explains. So there, we have a real internal security problem linked to drug trafficking. »
For three years, the elected official confides that there have never been so many arrests and seizures in this neighborhood. “Today, the challenge is to have complementary means in the long term. » Cédric Van Styvendael has been calling since his election to qualify Tonkin as a “district of republican reconquest” with a territorial security brigade specifically assigned to the territory. In the meantime, the municipal police will remain mobilized, he promises. “I hope to be able to make real announcements quickly to residents. It is not normal that it is up to them to take to the streets so that we obtain security results,” he concludes.