Metz. Municipal Police: Results of a consultation suggest "unease" in the ranks
62 municipal police officers took part in the consultation organized from March 23 to 25. Photo Gilles Wirtz
"It's not usual for a municipal police officer to come knocking on the door of the CGT..." Valérie Périoli, the union's general secretary in the city of Metz, acknowledges the incongruity of the situation. Neither "natural" nor "trivial," it constitutes, in her eyes, "a real warning." The results of the consultation, held from March 23 to 25 and attended by 62 officers, reveal, according to her, a real "discomfort" among their ranks.
Last December, the CGT (General Confederation of Labour) set up monthly union information sessions for municipal police officers. Tongues were loosened, and very quickly, around forty of them came to share their concerns. Their worries. "At no point did they talk about salary or bonuses," notes Valérie Périoli. "On the other hand, they stood up to defend the meaning of their missions, that of a local profession, but also of this need to be able to reconcile professional and personal life."
For the CGT representative, the participation of "just over half of the municipal police officers is a resounding success." The picture painted is not black and white. As proof, 70% of them are satisfied with the material resources at their disposal. While a majority (62.1%) believe that their missions correspond to their skills and qualifications, even more (79.7%) do not always find meaning in them. "Sometimes," confides Valérie Périoli , "they feel they are just being there..." Also, 64.4% of all officers find the current working hours adapted to their personal and professional constraints.
But there you have it, just as many (68%) are worried about the change in work rhythm implemented from May 1st. Many (72%) doubt its effectiveness. "The guys will have to work 12 Sundays a year, in addition to those for which they are already mobilized for service necessity such as the Mirabelle Plum Festival, the Christmas market..."
On April 17, on behalf of the CGT, Valérie Périoli sent an open letter, accompanied by the results of the consultation, to François Grosdidier . While she considered the attempts at "scuttling" that her union had allegedly been the victim of "deplorable," she invited the mayor to organize a "joint round table" in order to initiate "dialogue." Until Thursday, May 22, Valérie Périoli's letter had remained unanswered. "We were offered a meeting, but without the presence of the mayor," the union representative said. "He comes, surrounded by whoever he wants, but we want to speak to François Grosdidier!" But, a few hours after sending a press release to all media outlets, the elected official announced that he was willing to meet with her on Monday, June 30, or "if urgent," this Saturday, May 24. "It will be Monday, June 30."
François Grosdidier: "I have doubts about this type of investigation"
What is your analysis of this consultation organized by the CGT of the city of Metz?
François Grosdidier, Mayor of Metz: "I have my doubts about this type of investigation, carried out under questionable conditions and led by a politicized union. The CGT has always opposed the development of municipal police forces, as has the opposition to which it is close. The first real union actions came at the end of 2024, when the local authority's organizational chart was modified, placing the municipal police service in direct contact with the mayor."
What do you think about the dissatisfaction of 68% of the agents surveyed regarding their work pace?
"This is not 68% of the agents surveyed (PM and ASVP) but 35.6% of the agents surveyed by this investigation, or 21 agents out of a current workforce of 125 agents (PM + ASVP). Moreover, this is not what they express when we speak in meetings with everyone, or in informal exchanges with the day or night teams and without their hierarchy. Since November 2024, there has been a rotation. Until then, some agents were on duty one Sunday out of six and other agents one Sunday out of three. Since May 1, 2025, all agents work one Sunday out of four. That is fairness."
79.7% of the agents surveyed do not always find meaning in their missions. Your reaction?
"Again, this represents 79.7% of the people who responded to the survey. Furthermore, if we still refer to the CGT documents, adding up the percentages for this question gives a result of 105.7%. Where is the 100%? [When contacted, the CGT specifies that it gave respondents the option of checking both options (yes and no) for this question, Editor's note]. In Metz, when a municipal police officer is recruited, they know their work schedule, the requirements of the position, the conditions and the resources made available."
Le Républicain Lorrain
