There has been an increase in recent months of people engaging in begging on public streets: around 300 people in the City of Nice, which has more than 1,000 homeless people. Begging is not prohibited as such and is therefore not punishable. In this context of unprecedented crisis, some find themselves without any means of subsistence.
Nevertheless, some people, by their attitude, behavior, or actions, create a disturbance to public order: disturbances to security, peace, and cleanliness. At the same time, there are more serious situations of a criminal nature, such as the existence of begging networks.
Christian Estrosi: “I have spoken with the Prefect about these different issues in order to find a solution to the situations within his competence. I will contact and support the General Council as needed for child protection in cases of confirmed begging. Furthermore, I will propose to various partners to work on drafting an agreement for the concerted management of human trafficking phenomena.”
Numerous actions have already been implemented to address this situation of extreme precariousness:
• On the social side, with a proactive and determined policy targeting this group;
• On the hygiene side with the Squat Action Pole created in 2009;
• On the public safety side with ordinances like the one against aggressive begging, which was strengthened last April to account for new phenomena.
Moreover, the city of Nice is very mobilized on the humanitarian front and works in close partnership with a large number of associations that also offer social reception complementing the day reception managed by the CCAS, social grocery stores, and clothing shops.
In addition to the Squat Action Pole, which has been active since August 1, 2009, a Begging Action Pole will be the response for the comprehensive management of the situation.
The objective is to bring together, within a single pole, contributors from the various relevant services for greater responsiveness and better efficiency.
This cross-functional action pole will consist of 6 municipal police officers, 6 cleaning agents, 2 social workers: CCAS and Social Action depending on the public concerned, and 2 hygiene inspectors who, if needed, can make a presentation to the OPJ if reprehensible acts are found, such as extortion (312-1 of the CP), exploitation of begging (225-12-5 and following of the CP), endangering a minor (227-17 of the CP).
We can only wait for the results with the required pragmatism.
