When half a dozen uniformed police officers head towards a café or restaurant, it is usually bad news for both the establishment and its customers. But the mood is very different when the invitation reads “Coffee with the Police”.
With a slight delay, the officers arrived at Casa Baffone on Avenue de la Liberté shortly after 4pm. At that point, only two elderly women had taken up the invitation. Although they declined to speak on record, they made it clear during conversations that they were unhappy with the security situation around the station. One of them said she had been robbed almost a year ago. Gradually, however, more people began to arrive and the restaurant filled up.
By the end, around 20 people were present – mostly men and women of middle to older age. Some live near the station, others run businesses in the neighbourhood, work for the social service à vos côtés, or live elsewhere in the city. Their reasons for attending varied.
Miguel said he was attending for the first time: “I was curious and wanted to see why the police offer this kind of meeting.”
Carmen explained she wanted “to get to know the police better and possibly tell them things that need to be looked into”.
Emile, who lives on Rue de Strasbourg, had a different motivation: “I actually came to praise the police. I think they do a good job around the station.”
Cyrille, meanwhile, has attended every edition so far. With offices on Rue de Strasbourg and a small beauty salon on Avenue de la Liberté, he said he felt directly concerned by the situation in the area.
Food and drinks were provided – perhaps a little too generously, as plenty was left over by the end. But the focus of the afternoon was on discussion and exchange. How do residents and workers perceive the situation around the station?
Miguel said he does not feel particularly unsafe. Carmen, who regularly meets people in front of the station, had a different experience, pointing to frequent theft. Emile felt the area’s reputation was exaggerated, arguing that much of the fear exists “in people’s minds”. Cyrille said he sees little difference compared to 10 or 15 years ago, acknowledging a few known hotspots but adding: “We can live with that.”
The police officers were kept busy throughout the event, engaged in long conversations with attendees. Olivier Mabille, taking part for the third time, sees clear benefits in the format.
“People leave here with a completely different image of the police and our work,” he said. “On the street, officers often don’t have time to talk. Here, we do. People also see that behind the uniform there is a human being, and that we can talk about more than just crime.”
Crime was nevertheless part of the discussion, particularly misconceptions about what police are legally allowed to do – often influenced, Mabille noted, by comparisons with other countries or by films.
As for the situation around the station, he acknowledged the presence of drug-related crime but stressed that, overall, he would not describe the area as unsafe.
