Safety in Nantes
“Yes, but it is true that an article on insecurity would have been more promising than security in Nantes, (since there is no security in Nantes)”, that was the reaction of a net surfer on our survey title (Security in Nantes). That is to say, lack of security tends to be a huge problem in Nantes. In fact, only 2.5% of people that have responded to our survey rated security in Nantes 5 out of 5, while 83% rated security in Nantes to be less than the average, 3 or less out of 5.
Further investigations show that walking back home late, taking tramway, or going for a stroll in the city center, turns out to be more dangerous in Nantes especially when you are a woman.
One of the main security problems is sexual assault. Noemie a girl between many others that we’ve asked, could not enjoy her 20s without harassment, she said: “I was insulted in the street, spit on by a madman in Nantes station, I was insulted when leaving a store because I was fat and it was repulsive, I would have been ashamed to go outside” and she added “ I’m not as pretty, so I was followed a lot less than other friends”.
What is worse is that the story of sexual assault doesn’t end on the street, but goes further than that. One day, Léa a 22 years old girl that works in a street view agency in Nantes, was working when a man suddenly broke into the agency, searching for her, she was alone that day, and she was sitting at the back of the agency, where you can hardly see what is happening from the street.
“He wants to be my boyfriend, because he was in love…supposedly …” said Léa.
she also added
“He was very insistent and was far too close physically to me to have good intentions”.
Being alone, Léa had no choice but to lie about her age. She told us
“I still wonder how it would have been if I hadn’t lied about my age.”,
and the man hearing that she is a minor and that she was only working there for an internship, had gone out without saying a word.
Another security issue that has been recurrent in our survey, is property theft, generally pickpocketing. A common scenario, would start by asking for something, most frequently cigarettes. And while you are looking for them, you get surprised by 3 more guys around you, trying to take away your belongings.
The tramway in Nantes seems to be a good attraction for such pick pocketers. A 21 years old girl who preferred to remain anonymous along with wanting her story to be a warning alarm for others. She was taking the tramway, when two men in their thirties sat near her, and have started to stroke her leg. She has reacted to the situation in terms of sexual assault, but after a while they were gone, she hadn’t noticed anything at the beginning till she finally realized that they have stolen her wallet.
And Many others announced to be victim of assault or theft mainly near the area shown in the picture above.
What we can conclude from all of this is that law enforcements should be a lot more present in the city, mainly in places such as: ‘Commerce’, ‘Place royale’, near ‘Hangar des bananes’ where crime tends to be the standard now.
