PARIS, Oct 23 (Reuters) – France’s national police chief has promised to upgrade equipment and improve working conditions for the country’s police, who staged a sixth night of protests across several cities.
The police have said they are no longer properly equipped to do their jobs and face harsh working conditions. They staged protests in Paris, Strasbourg and Nancy on late on Saturday, according to BFM TV.
“In Paris, it is mainly young police officers who say they have lost confidence in their hierarchy, in the institution and in their unions,” Jean-Marc Falcone, France’s national police chief said in an interview with weekly newspaper Journal du Dimanche.
Falcone said he would equip the staff with modern and sophisticated weaponry and gadgets, while he would also seek to reduce the burden of static surveillance missions.
“I understand their concerns. And I also should tell you that I share almost all of their demands,” Falcone said.
About 100 police gathered late on Friday in front of Notre Dame Cathedral in central Paris, just opposite the central police headquarters, according to BFM TV.
Some 3,000 of them took to the streets of French cities on Thursday night.
French President Francois Hollande said on Friday he would meet police representatives at his office early next week to hear their grievances.
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