A tragedy occurred in the town in the early evening of March 25, 1818, when a cracked 6,000 pound (2721 kg) bell being removed from a belfry came crashing down, killing approximately 25 onlookers.

[8] In 2007 the mayor at the time, François Pupponi, stated that the city became a "social ghetto" suffered from planning errors made in the 1950s, as the community did not gain the businesses necessary to support the population.

[8] Jean-Louis Marsac, the first deputy mayor, stated that the commune grew without gaining the proper infrastructure.

[8] On the night of 25 November 2007, gangs attacked a police station in Villiers-le-Bel, torched cars, and vandalized stores.

The violence was prompted by the deaths of two adolescents after a crash between their motorbike and a police patrol car at an intersection.