Elected in the first round of the municipal elections with 50,77% of the vote, and officially installed as mayor on March 21, Bally Bagayoko took the helm of the new municipality of Saint-Denis with the promise of a change of course. In just a few days, this shift has already materialized in a highly sensitive area: municipal security.
The new mayor confirmed the ban on the use of rubber-ball launchers and the opening of a "gradual disarmament" of the municipal police. At this stage, however, it is not a complete disarmament: the renewal request concerning firearms and Tasers has been maintained, and Bally Bagayoko himself affirms that there is no intention to disarm. "the entirety" of the municipal police in the immediate future.
An internal shock within the police
This shift is already causing internal shock. The Saint-Denis municipal police force has approximately 140 officers, and several union sources report a mass exodus since the announcement of the new political direction. According to unions, more than half of the staff are considering leaving.
The municipal police chief and several deputies are leaving, and 90 out of 130 police officers have reportedly requested a transfer.
This local tension has now taken on a national dimension. The government has publicly reiterated that municipal employees cannot be dismissed for political reasons, following comments by the new mayor about civil servants who are not "not in sync" with the new direction. The reminder is clear: a change of majority cannot result in the ideological marginalization of local government staff.
