“Never leave them alone in the face of difficulties, threats and violence.” This is the “philosophy” of the plan announced on Sunday by Stanislas Guerini in the columns of Parisian to protect public officials, particularly those present at the counters, who are increasingly exposed.
“The first thing is to allow public officials to carry out their work safely. It is the basis for being able to offer a quality public service,” says the minister for the newspaper.
The latest notable example that shows its vulnerability is the looting of the hotel in the Nord department of Lille by a person who came to seek information about his RSA.
Alert buttons, training and changes in legislation
To combat this, Stanislas Guerini plans – with a budget of one million euros – to increase “security devices”, such as alert buttons or even video surveillance cameras.
To protect officers from violence committed outside the workplace, alert systems could also be installed on their phones.
Concrete means reinforced by the possibility for officials to participate in training “dedicated to prevention and the fight against incivility” starting in November, details the minister. As well as an annual survey “to measure the incivility and violence suffered by agents” starting in 2024.
As part of the upcoming civil service reform, the Minister would like to change current legislation to offer employers the ability to lodge complaints on behalf of their agents.
In addition, the extension of “functional protection to the beneficiaries (spouses, family members) of the public official as a precautionary measure”, that is, coverage of legal expenses, medical or psychological care, or even help for changing the number telephone, it should be possible, according to Stanislas Guerini. Even as a preventive measure.
“A higher level of violence in our society”
According to information from ParisianThe figures set out in the preamble of this plan would report in particular 35,000 cases of health professionals being attacked in 2021, 12,000 acts of incivility reported by the Family Allowance Funds in 2022 or even 10,000 agents displaced due to the deterioration of their facilities during the subsequent demonstrations. Nahel’s death in July.
“There is a higher level of violence in our society. And then, there is a quite strong evolution among our fellow citizens, an expectation of immediacy, a demand. And, sometimes, internal causes of public services, the agents themselves say so, analyzes the Minister of Public Service.
According to him, “simplification, making a service more humane, more accessible, will also reduce tensions.” However, an “Agent Protection Committee” must meet quarterly to move forward.
Source: BFM TV
