Over the last few days we've received a number of emails from colleagues and students staying at the Crous complaining about noise pollution caused by motocross bikes on the Luminy site, which we obviously understand.
This is not a new problem, and we have taken a number of steps, described below, to try to put an end to it. It is true that these numerous actions have had little or no effect to date. It has to be said that this problem is absolutely complex to deal with, and that it is not confined to Luminy, but affects the whole of Marseille and every major city in the country. The recent events in Lyon (https://www.lyoncapitale.fr/actualite/lyon-un-adolescent-entre-la-vie-et…) show that police action in this context is complex.
Some of the actions already carried out include
- The appointment of a member of staff attached to the Luminy campus security team, who will be responsible for coordinating these actions. Mr Thomas Fantozzi is gradually taking up his post and will be the point of contact for everyone.
The installation of remote surveillance systems. We are waiting for the final approvals from AMU before putting them into service.
The ongoing renovation of the old post office at the entrance to the campus (between the north and south entrances) to turn it into a security centre
Renovation of part of the fence surrounding the campus
Rockfill in certain areas to limit intrusions
However, it should be stressed that we are not a police force, and that no one on campus represents the police authority. The staff in the security car are not police. They are not authorised to take risks, they are not armed, and they can only intervene in the form of discussion and dissuasion, in the time available to them.
The solution to this complex problem lies with the police forces themselves. We are organising ourselves so that we can constantly call on their support. Not a week (I could almost say a day) goes by without us calling 17. We take part in the borough safety council (systematically attending the 2 CSAs in the 9th arrondissement every month). On several occasions, vehicle registrations have been noted and given to the police. On several occasions, without taking any risks, our colleagues have gone to see people on motorbikes and asked them to leave the campus. We frequently meet with the police to try and find solutions. They were in my office again last week to discuss this problem and the joint action to be taken at Luminy. These actions are complex to implement and will require large numbers of police and specific resources. But they will be carried out.
Finally, it's important to remember that safety on campus - and I'm extending the notion of safety beyond the simple issue of motocross bikes - is everyone's business. Any one of us can, without taking any risk, intervene with any individual who is not authorised to be on campus and ask them to leave. Any of us can call 17, and clearly explain to the police officer the nature of the nuisance, possibly giving the make or model of the vehicle, its colour, and also its registration number. In addition, we have created a generic e-mail address for all matters relating to campus security, which can now be used to systematically forward any information you wish to send us: surete-campus-luminy@univ-amu.fr. Soon, posters with useful telephone numbers, a reminder of the e-mail address and clear instructions for calling 17 will be put up in most of the buildings on the site.
I hope that I have convinced you that we are looking for solutions to this particular motocross problem, as we are for all the other problems linked to campus safety. It's a long-term project, and we need the cooperation of everyone - students, staff and, of course, the police.
Christophe BOURDIN - University Professor
Dean of the Faculty of Sports Sciences
Chairman of CNU74
Member of the Institut des Sciences du Mouvement UMR CNRS 7287
Faculté des Sciences du Sport, 163 AVE de Luminy, 13009 Marseille
Tel:+33(0)4 13 94 59 09 - Email : christophe.bourdin@univ-amu.fr