“A few months ago, the pavement was invaded by rats. Life for local residents was not possible. Now things are much better.” A shopkeeper near the rue du Vieux Collège, a stone’s throw from Thionville city center, Driss Madjoubi casts his gaze around the rubbish collection point. Vacuum cleaners, plastic bags: on the sidewalk, (bad) habits certainly don’t disappear overnight. But after several months of implementing Thionville’s “Marshall Cleanliness Plan”, the (good) results became apparent and visible to the naked eye.
The mayor of the northern capital of Moselle, on the road to Luxembourg, Pierre Cuny said emphatically: “95% of illegal rubbish dumping around voluntary rubbish dumps has suddenly disappeared.” According to him, the result is the volunteerism of his city government in fighting unhealthy conditions caused by trash bags placed on the ground.
“Sometimes the containers are too full. So, some people don’t bother throwing rubbish on the ground. This is an encouragement to others. As a result, we have mattresses, sanitary napkins, lots of things… Around the city hall, the situation is unbearable. After 11 p.m., some nights, rats are everywhere”
Recently, violators have known the risks: the highest fines. After delivering the message shortly before the summer, Thionville’s town hall on November 17 validated an investment of 60,000 euros in special software for the phone’s two cameras. They will be placed in different locations by the Satpol PP team led by Laurent Cavalieri. Their mission: to record movements around voluntary drop-off points.
The camera shoots with movement. This allows you to see the materiality of the deposit. In the trash: it’s okay. Aside: it’s okay! The system powers video surveillance of 180 cameras in the Moselle municipality and thirty agencies.
“Fine up to 75,000 euros”
After the violation, the identification stage, with a number plate or opening of the bag if necessary. A summons will be issued within ten days for violators to explain themselves to the city police service.
The sanctions are deterrent: 220 euros for individuals, 440 euros for professionals. The “painful” thing is likely to escalate further. The service initially sends an invoice for the removal of goods, up to 1,500 euros (3,000 euros for companies)… or even more.
Deposits of dangerous products could reach “up to 75,000 euros” warned Mayor Pierre Cuny. “We no longer want to let anything slide, we have transferred the file to the public prosecutor, for the offending trader from Thionville who risked 72,000 euros. If necessary, it will be resolved through criminal proceedings.”
Laurent Cavalieri continued: “This is an effective policy. Deterrence, we have tried. We clearly see that it does not work. When you tap your wallet, the message is heard. Suddenly, our prosecution numbers for administrative failure drop. Violators write to us. They said My trash was stolenor blame the cleaners…”
