France
After the theft of car wheels, the municipality turns the lights back on at night
In eastern France, residents of the small town of Sérémange-Erzange can walk quite safely at night. And their vehicles keep rolling.
Posted
Since November, public lights have been switched off in Sérémange-Erzange from 11pm to 5am. But according to the municipality, “people had a strong sense of insecurity”.
AFP chart
In France, the town hall of Sérémange-Erzange in the Moselle department decided to turn on the night lights, which had been switched off since November for environmental and economic reasons, at the request of the public. In question, a series of thefts of car wheels.
“People have been victims of damages in many cases. A gang returned, five to seven cars were found in the socks, the wheels were removed,” indicated Frédéric Curiet, director general of services of the commune, confirming the information of the daily “Aujourd’hui en France”.
“The lack of lighting at night complicates the operation of video surveillance, which is black in the images.”
An officer from Thionville Police Station
Since November, the town of 4,200 people has had public lights switched off between 11pm and 5am at the foot of the old Florange blast furnaces. “The aim was to protect biodiversity, the environment and save on energy consumption. But we had no choice but to restore the light, people had a feeling of insecurity,” said Frédéric Curiet.
Juvenile arrest
According to the police of the neighboring town of Thionville, since the end of 2022, “about thirty” car wheel thefts have been recorded in Sérémange-Erzange and the surrounding towns, with or without burning at night. Teachers were arrested for theft, minors.
“The absence of lights at night greatly facilitates the work of some malicious persons and it complicates the operation of video surveillance, which is black in the images,” lamented an officer of Theonville police station.
(AFP)
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