“It’s no longer possible… I’m in the process of selling my business,” concedes, dejected, the manager of a kebab shop in the Jeanne-d’Arc district, in downtown Toulouse. Boulevard de Strasbourg, a stone’s throw from the metro, traders can’t take it anymore. Drug trafficking, incivility, fights…for almost two years, the atmosphere has changed a lot.
“These young people settle wherever they want and make themselves at home,” begins to describe Salim, the leader of Tchin since 2020. “They fight among themselves, insult passers-by, really lay down the law, it’s unbearable.” These “young people” are traffickers who settled here after deserting Place Arnaud-Bernard, a few hundred meters away. Thanks to a well-established system, they go back and forth, crossing the boulevard to collect narcotics and contraband cigarettes before returning to traffic. Most of the time, they have women carry the drugs because male police officers are not allowed to search them. They also hide the “cam” on bus shelters, or in businesses, without the knowledge of the managers. A meticulous organization.
“If it was just the traffic… In their place, I would simply be discreet since they are illegal. But no ! It speaks loudly. It’s between them! It’s getting noticed…” laments the kebab manager who prefers to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals. As a result, this owner lowers the curtain. And it’s not the only one… “There are others who are thinking about closing. They scared away customers. We are not at all peaceful here,” he assures us. “Personally, I would never bring my children and my wife in the evening, even though I work here.” At Tchin, it’s a bit of a final blow. After Covid, customers stopped coming. “We have a perfect, historic location just a stone’s throw from Saint-Sernin and yet because of that, we are in a very bad situation. Customers are really complaining about this traffic. “.
Bloody sidewalks
There are sometimes around fifty troublemakers on weekend evenings, a little less during the week. If you sit on the terrace, you can watch the group perform. Everyone has a very specific position. Fights break out. Cans are thrown and shouts are made. Some people don’t move from the seat of their scooter. Others go back and forth. All with their “outfit” – jogging pants, cap and fanny pack. Always the same according to local residents. The police come by every day. In vain. The merry-go-round continues. Last Saturday, the evening ended in a bloodbath with a victim who received eight blows with a blade, according to the police. ” It is not the first time. We’ve already had the sidewalk covered in blood because of a fight,” adds the kebabier. “We feel in constant insecurity. In four hours, the last time, we were threatened with a knife, we had a drug addict who wanted to enter the building… I’m afraid for my wife”, testifies a resident of rue Bellegarde, a stone’s throw from the Place Jeanne-d’Arc. The couple even considered moving because of the incivility. However, Kevin Simon Senari is a professional MMA athlete, but this is too much for him. In the meantime, he leaves it to the police.
“In-depth work is being done”
“We have been aware of the difficulties for several months. We are working on this with real collaboration between the national police, municipal authorities and the justice system,” wants to reassure Emilion Esnault, deputy mayor in charge of Security. A collective letter was also sent to the town hall last year by several traders showing solidarity in this chaos. “Interventions are carried out several times a day and three cameras are installed in this sector. They allow us to see everything and we are intensifying video work,” adds the deputy.
Indeed, several times a day, even an hour, patrols are carried out in this area, now known as a hub in the city center. “As with the work carried out at Place Arnaud-Bernard, and which continues elsewhere, all efforts are being made to contain the situation,” insists Emilion Esnault. Place Arnaud-Bernard regained relative tranquility, to the detriment of Jeanne-d’Arc. “We are engaged in in-depth work and intense action but we must follow the law. We can’t do everything we want. I can understand the impatience but there will be results and it will certainly be faster than Place Arnaud-Bernard,” concludes the elected official.
While waiting for these results, traders are helpless. On their scale, “it’s a daily headache” with the dealers, says the manager of Tchin. “Fortunately there are the police but that’s not enough. It always turns sour. I have lost waitresses because of their disrespect towards them. My employees can’t take it anymore. They argue with each other and are afraid,” explains the fast-food owner. “One day, there will be a collateral victim… This is the only trigger that could change things unfortunately,” insists the trader.