Échirolles
Échirolles is a commune in the Isère department, southeastern France. Part of the Grenoble urban unit, it is the second-largest suburb of the city of Grenoble, which is immediately to its north.
History
A former industrial village had the majority of its inhabitants work in the viscose factories, a fabric that was invented in Échirolles in 1884 by the French scientist and industrial Hilaire de Chardonnet, before becoming universally famous. The process for manufacturing viscose was then patented by three British scientists, Charles Frederick Cross, Edward John Bevan and Clayton Beadle, in 1891.The Hôtel de Ville was completed in 2006.
Population
Criminality
Located just next to Grenoble, Échirolles doesn't escapes to the growth of criminality, especially since the 2020s. It is mainly related to drug traffic.2023
Two men are hit by bullet at Échirolles and Le-Pont-de-Claix, on 21 August.2024
On August, France 3 Rhône-Alpes says that "a new shooting happened at Échirolles, the seventh one in less than two weeks." A month later, a whole building is evacuated due to "the massive drug traffic exposing its inhabitants to huge and immediate danger".2025
This new year doesn't starts better : on January 4 evening, at 23:30, a new shooting happens. A teenager girl, walking with another teenager, and her dog, was hit on the leg. She says few days later to the newspaper Le Parisien that she will have to "live with a bullet into the leg for the rest of life".Few months after, on April, a new shooting happens. The next month, on May, as well as Grenoble and Saint-Martin-d'Hères, Échirolles is one more time under criminal shootings.
On 2025 December, two killings happens : in the night, from 2 to 3 of December, at Georges-Meliès street, and died just after emergency services found him. Few days after, the 6th of December,, at 11PM, another one, 22 years old, located 8 May 1945 Avenue, took in charge by emergency services, died at hospital shortly after ; at the same evening, nearby of Échirolles, at La Bruyère park of Grenoble, another man, 18 years old, dies by bullet, the same night. Both were harmed by at least several bullet injuries, probably due to drug traffic, says France Bleu.
Personalities
- Thernand Bakouboula footballer
- Seynabou Benga handball player
- Stephane Biakolo footballer
- Talel Chedly, footballer
- Vincent Clerc, rugby footballer of Stade Toulousain and of the France national team.
- Mélissa Theuriau, journalist and television producer.
- Calogero, pop/rock singer, composer and songwriter.
- Laure Péquegnot, skier.
- Gérald Hustache-Mathieu, film director and scenarist.
- David di Tommaso, football player.
- Sami Bouajila, actor.
- Guilbaut Colas, freestyle skier.
- David Lazzaroni, ski jumper.
- Sandrine Aubert, alpine skier.
- Jonathan Tinhan, footballer.
- Kévin Aymoz, figure skater
- Matteo Tomasi, footballer.
International relations
Échirolles is twinned with:- Grugliasco, Italy
- Honhoue, Benin
- Kimberley, England