- Title: FRANCE-POLICE French government tries to reassure police officers
- Date: 13th October 2015
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (OCTOBER 13, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF FRENCH INTERIOR MINISTER BERNARD CAZENEUVE ARRIVING AND SHAKING HANDS WITH POLICE OFFICIALS POLICE OFFICERS AND OFFICIALS GATHERED IN CONFERENCE ROOM CAZENEUVE SEATED VARIOUS OF POLICE OFFICERS SEATED CAZENEUVE POLICE OFFICERS WATCHING SCREEN SHOWING CAZENEUVE'S SPEECH CAZENEUVE SHAKING HANDS WITH POLICE OFFICERS VARIOU
- Embargoed: 28th October 2015 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: France
- Country: France
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA3LI3FEEWV8A29IAWPUFGUMHSC
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve spoke to police officers on Tuesday (October 13) to try to reassure them on the eve of a rare demonstration they plan to hold in front of the justice ministry against what they call "dysfunction" within the justice system.
Cazeneuve told police officers and officials that the issues causing their discomfort would be soon fixed, and that he had nothing to gain from opposing the police or the justice system.
All French police unions agreed last week to demonstrate outside the justice minister's office in Paris, to condemn last week's shooting in a Paris suburb, in which one officer was seriously injured by a prisoner who was out on leave.
Officers want answers from Justice Minister Christiane Taubira for such failures in the justice system, and want to make their other concerns heard, they say.
Other complaints include short staffing and a lack of means needed to maintain the rhythm imposed by the heightened security plan put in place after Paris' January attacks.
"We should be 108,000 police officers, and we are hardly 100,000. We are missing 8,000 people today in order to ensure the security of people and goods -- given what happened last week -- and to be able to ensure our own security. Right now we are not able to do it," said a member of French police union SGP, Yves Lefebvre.
"Tomorrow we call for a demonstration on Place Vendome to denounce the disfunction of our justice system. There is a break today linked to the disfunction in the function of our justice system," he added.
"We need to remain united with the ministry of justice, we are not enemies contrary to what some people are trying to say. We should not drift from an issue like this. Unfortunately it's not because one of our colleagues is between death and life or because the situation is very difficult. We should on the contrary close ranks, remain united, remain strong together and not divided. I think the minister expressed this very well," police chief Veronique Jacob said following Cazeneuve's speech.
Additionally, the police's workload will again increase with the upcoming COP21 climate conference, due to take place in December in Paris.
To address concerns, Cazeneuve said he was committed to pursuing the fiscal effort made this year to reinforce staff and means, and reminded that the government had decided to create 900 jobs over three years to fight illegal immigration along with 1,400 jobs in the police force in general, including 1,100 in the fight against terrorism. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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