Repression’s mission – On October 1st premiere for a new “weapon” for young immigrants. Urban counter-insurgency operations and combating wild incidents are the high-risk missions of CRS 8, the new elite unit of the national police in France.
This mobile unit, specially created to be able to intervene quickly throughout France and maintain calm, is being mobilized in various regions this summer. In particular, CRS 8 was developed in the most sensitive neighborhoods of the country, such as La Guillotière in Lyon, but also in Besançon and Colmar.
After the murder on Sunday 14 August 2022 of a 27-year-old man in Colmar, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced the mission of the CRS 8 unit.
The aim of this unit is not to assist in investigations. It specializes in urban violence and conducts operations to secure premises or even intervene in case of new “urban rodeos”. There are only about sixty in Colmar, but this unit has a total of 200 people trained to intervene throughout the territory.
CRS 8 is based in Essonne and the unit was created to intervene in record time everywhere in France. The 200 people in it must be ready to leave the base in just 15 minutes after the call. These CRS members are only supposed to stay there for a few days and are not meant to settle permanently in an area. But if this task force proves effective, Gérald Darmanin plans to expand the system.
New service “weapon” for immigrant gangs
Meanwhile with immigrant gangs terrorizing various parts of the country a new device for young immigrants roaming Guillotière is set to premiere on October 1st. The coming first month, therefore, will mark the start of a new system called “Line 37”. Under the association Le Mas of Lyon, it should allow the care of the young migrants who roam in La Guillotière.
Many of these young people are teenagers who are not recognized as minors by the municipal authorities of Lyon or young adults from Maghreb countries. With no accommodation or work solution, they often end up in Guillotière. Which turns into a ghetto, and accumulate problems of insecurity, addiction, mental health and various physical pathologies. “Line 37” will enable integrated care, which will be implemented in early 2023 with the opening of a rest area. As reported by the French media, “Line 37” will be a multidisciplinary mobile team for young immigrants from La Guillotière.
Many young immigrants from La Guillotière are addicted to drugs, especially benzodiazepines and pregabalin. They continue or start the practice known as “Karkooubi”, well known in the Maghreb since the early 2000s. This practice consists of ingesting a cocktail of anti-epileptic, anxiolytic or other drugs, with serious side effects and very strong dependence. At high doses, young people in particular may hallucinate, become paranoid and put themselves at risk.
