French police warn Macron about rising violence
French police warned President Emmanuel Macron about rising degrees of street violence, as he toured crime hotspots on Monday carrying out a string of shocking assaults.
A spate of violent attacks in recent months has made fear of crime a top political issue ahead of presidential elections next year where Macron is expected to seek another term. "We are confronted with young persons who are more organized, and more heavily armed," a policewoman named Ludivine told Macron in Montpellier. Macron was driven around a poverty-wracked the main southern city in a police car where he spoke to officers and observed drug-dealing spots. "We are working with career criminals, always the same ones, around 50 of them in Montpellier," the authorities officer said.
Another officer said that anti-police violence have been normalized through the anti-government "yellow vest" revolt which started out in 2018. Macron asked if police had observed a notable difference since the protests which often saw demonstrators' battle security forces on the streets. "Yes, demonstrators have grown to be more professional. They don't hesitate in getting physical around," another officer told the French president. Security has become a top political issue in France 12 months prior to the presidential election. In a interview with the right-wing Le Figaro newspaper on Sunday, Macron acknowledged that physical assaults had increased.
"Since 2017, even though France has seen a fall of between 18-25 % in violent thefts, burglaries and vehicle theft, it has already established a major upsurge in physical assaults," he said.
Macron designated the rise in violence against cops, firefighters and medics to be of particular concern.
He has promised to honor a target of recruiting 10,000 extra police officers by 2022 and his government has drafted controversial new legislation targeted at protecting and reinforcing the authorities.
Several recent crimes have shocked the united states.
