After several months of “fed up,” the residents of the Trachel neighborhood in Nice gathered yesterday morning. This initiative was launched by Laurent Rodrigues, President of the Association for the Protection of Square Colonel Jean Pierre. “The purpose of this mobilization is to highlight the lack of surveillance in our Square, which is entirely left to its own devices,” explains the President of the association.
Immediately noticeable upon approaching the Square Colonel Jean Pierre is its condition, the crowd, and the smell wafting around it. This children’s park seems completely neglected: dirt, trash, glass beer bottles, human excrements, urine… litter the ground in places. Both inside and outside the park.
“The children don’t even dare to come and play anymore. The play equipment intended for them is used as a clothesline by some people who come to drink alcohol and laze on the grass all day. They’ve even broken a play structure in the park,” say the neighborhood residents. It goes without saying that insecurity has settled in. The lack of hygiene and surveillance is felt in the Square.
“I was born here, I’ve lived here for 75 years. It’s really a shame for the neighborhood; cleaning isn’t done like it used to be,” laments Pierre Brendalan.
A paid parking lot is located behind the garden. Yet, no police checks are carried out, according to the locals. Moreover, we learned that a van has been parked there for two months. It serves as housing for its owner, but not only that; it also hides some people who go to the toilet there. Outdoor toilets that exude foul odors.
The police haven’t checked this parking lot for nearly a year, the park guardian has been absent for two months and hasn’t been replaced. The children haven’t been able to enjoy this park meant for them. That’s what the mobilized neighborhood residents regret. A regrettable situation that is slow to be resolved and tarnishes the image of this neighborhood.
“The city doesn’t react. We have repeatedly made requests to the mayor, Christien Estrosi. It’s been two years since we’ve been waiting for the security agents we were promised. Children can’t play anymore, retirees don’t feel like coming to play pétanque. In summer, the odors are amplified by the heat. It becomes unbearable. It’s scandalous,” indignantly says Ange Ghiradi, a neighborhood resident.
“We wonder why open a park only to abandon it in this way. On our own scale, we can’t do anything, but the city can do a lot. It’s not a place for consuming alcohol or illegal substances. It’s a space reserved for children aged 3 to 6, but adults sleep there, and children come across them. There is a genuine fear felt in the neighborhood. Yet, the mayor had promised a team of 16 agents tasked with ensuring the tranquility of parks where problems are detected. Today, we are launching a petition to have a permanent guardian,” says Laurent Rodrigues.
But then, why is this park neglected? Beyond that, why is the request from the residents of Trachel Street—made to Christian Estrosi—struggling to be heard? Is he even aware of it?
To be continued…
