This decision responds to a visit organized on March 15 by the President of Nice as part of a national day dedicated to places of deprivation of liberty. He had discovered a “very complicated” situation.
“Cleaning never done”, “feces on the walls”, “no hygiene kit”. While visiting the Nice police station on March 15, as part of a national day dedicated to places of deprivation of liberty, the president of the city, Adrien Verrier, discovered a situation “very complicated”. So much so that the administrative court ordered the State on Tuesday, April 18 to have the custody cells of the place redone and to clean them daily.
This order, issued following a request from the order of lawyers of the Nice bar, enjoins the Minister of the Interior to proceed, within three months and under a penalty of 250 euros per day after expiry of this period, “to repair work in police custody cells (…) likely to improve the material conditions for the installation of persons in police custody” and this pending the relocation of the police station.
Installed in the former Auvare barracks, the Nice police station is to be replaced, within a few years, by a new police station whose work has just begun in a former hospital. The minister is also forced, within the same timeframe, to have an appeal system installed in each of the cells.
A “very courageous” decision
The State must also, without delay this time, carry out the daily cleaning of the cells and the toilets, under penalty of being inflicted with penalties of 100 euros per day of delay, adds the ordinance. Within fifteen days without penalty, he must finally “take all measures” to provide custody “a mattress in good condition”, “a single-use blanket”, “a hygiene kit” et “an adequate quantity of drinking water”continues the administrative court.
During his visit in March, the president of Nice had deplored that the detainees “were forced to pound on their door to ask for water or go to the toilet”. “Cells of 4 m2 were sometimes used by two people and those of 12 m2 by four, five or six people”, had completed the chairman. The latter welcomed an order “very brave”stating that“a decision of this nature, with such penalties, is unheard of”.
