The roller parade takes a detour through Mons Community policing, smooth as clockwork

Now widespread in Brussels, the roller parade is spreading across all of Belgium this year. Mons, as a result, is set to actively participate in the event starting June 28. For the occasion, Mons police officers will also put on roller skates, an experience destined to be repeated. Straight from Brussels, the roller parade never ceases to charm residents: from 3,000 participants in the first editions, there were ultimately some 15,000 putting on roller skates to cover the twenty kilometers winding through the streets of the capital on summer evenings. Given the growing success of this rather special stroll, the roller parade will spread, starting in June, to seven cities across the country, including Mons. Starting June 28, a meeting will be set on the Grand'Place every Saturday to begin a roller-skating ride of about twenty kilometers crossing the boulevards, the surrounding municipalities, without forgetting a stop in a green space: "The parade is an original way to discover the city in a sporty, festive, and relaxed atmosphere," explains Anne-Sophie Charlé, spokesperson for the city of Mons. An initiative that promises to brighten up Mons evenings every Saturday, whether one is a roller enthusiast or not really: "This parade will bring a breath of fresh air to the city, even for those watching from their windows as simple spectators," the spokesperson continues. "As for those who prefer to follow the procession on a bicycle, a scooter, or whatever else, they too will be welcome." A real challenge To ensure a minimum of security for the event, around twenty Mons police officers volunteered to put on roller skates themselves in order to supervise the parade every Saturday. Among them, Superintendent Pierre Maton, who is taking on a real athletic and human challenge in this way: "This project is both innovative, interesting, and unusual. In terms of community policing, I believe we can achieve good results. The fact of putting on roller skates, just like the participants, allows for direct contact." Before transforming, starting June 28, into "roller cops", the volunteers will undergo around twenty hours of preparation in Namur. Apart from these summer Saturdays, the police officers could bring out their skates on other occasions: "It would be a shame to invest so much in training, equipment, and enthusiasm only to put the roller skates away in a closet afterward," Superintendent Maton confirms. "We will be able to deploy the roller cops on other occasions, particularly to supervise certain peaceful demonstrations in a friendly manner. Of course, the cobblestone streets of Mons will not make our job easy, but everything will depend on the nature of the event and where it takes place."