On the occasion of the 2025-2026 school year, Christian Estrosi presented at the Urban Supervision Center the enhanced measures to protect Nice’s schools. The city claims a national lead and announces the launch of a unique application in France, approved by the CNIL.
Facing the screens of the Urban Supervision Center, where images from around the schools continuously scroll, Christian Estrosi began the school year by saluting municipal police officers, ASVP, and agents mobilized “24 hours a day.”“Even if schools do not operate at night, we remain vigilant here: no intrusion should go unnoticed,” he reminded.
For the mayor, the starting point is known: July 14, 2016. “Since that date, we have not ceased to escalate our efforts.” In regularly conducted opinion polls, school safety is the top concern of families. Hence this relentless policy driven with a single objective: to make the school a “sanctuary” that is “untouchable and unreachable.”
In total, nearly 14 million euros have been spent on securing since 2016. An effort that, according to Christian Estrosi, places Nice “at the top of French cities” in this area: “this isn’t arrogance, it’s reality.”
Secured and monitored schools
In practice, Nice’s schools have profoundly changed. Fences have been heightened and replaced when they seemed fragile. Multiple entrances have been rationalized: where there were four, only two remain; where there were three, only one is retained. Unnecessary service doors have been removed. Fixed Sentinelle-type barriers protect access against potential ramming vehicles.
Video protection now systematically covers the surroundings. Connected to the CSU, the cameras allow for immediate intervention: an alert causes the concerned school to blink on the map, and operators direct the images to verify what is happening.
Inside and outside, 1,700 alert boxes have been installed. A simple press opens direct communication with the CSU. SOS terminals complement this system in front of each school so that any witness to an incident can raise the alarm.
Every morning and evening, the municipal police are present at entries and exits. “It’s a ritual, a habit, but also a guarantee of protection for families,” insists Christian Estrosi.
Agents integrated into everyday school life
Security also relies on constant human presence. Under certain conditions defined with the National Education, the city has been able to assign ASVP (public road surveillance agents N.D.T.) inside the schools themselves. Initially piloted in six schools, the initiative now involves 49. Their role is multiple: alert link with the CSU, support for security exercises, and point of contact for directors.
“These agents have become familiar to the children, they are part of the daily school life,” highlights the mayor. Over the years, their presence is increasingly demanded by the school councils themselves.
Around the schools, the “grandpa-grandma traffic” system has also been strengthened. These volunteers, often former municipal agents who have retired, ensure the safety of crossings near the schools. Their number has increased following several incidents that have highlighted the vulnerability of school surroundings.
An app to speed up alerts
Finally, Christian Estrosi presented a novelty: the application “Worry Me,” developed with municipal services and validated by the CNIL after two years of discussions. Until now, when a director or agent activated an alert box, the information did not immediately reach the entire educational community.
The application aims to fill this gap. In case of a threat, it will allow for real-time distribution of clear instructions to all staff, whether they are teachers, municipal agents, municipal or national police officers. “To the second, everyone will know how to act: evacuate, confine, gather the students,” explained the mayor. A large-scale demonstration is planned within a fortnight.
The mayor of Nice sees it as proof of consistency: “others started working after Samuel Paty. We have never stopped. We want to keep this lead.” With 170 agents engaged every day, a CSU on permanent alert, and an unprecedented application, Nice intends to continue making schools a sanctuary of the Republic.
