Nicolas Sarkozy caused an uproar after delivering his speech on security in Grenoble on July 30, 2010. Any person of foreign origin “who has deliberately harmed the life of a police officer, a gendarme, or any other holder of public authority” will be stripped of their French nationality, he declared, among other measures.
In terms of security, Nice closely follows the government’s security policy. The city currently has 450 surveillance cameras. By the end of the year, it will have more than 600, which will make Nice the best-equipped city in France, according to the municipality. This ensures that one can stroll in complete tranquility through the streets of the Azure capital. The Old Nice area, which hosts twenty to forty thousand visitors each night, has forty cameras. Five additional ones will be installed by the end of 2010. Next year, ten more cameras will be installed in uncovered areas.
In addition, there is the control of the national police. This summer, general crime has decreased by more than 25%. Next year, the police station located on the cours Saleya will be open 24 hours a day during weekends, public holidays, and school vacations.
One wonders if with all these means deployed, the people of Nice still have a bit of privacy…
