The Minister of the Interior, Bernard Cazeneuve, was not idle during his day on the French Riviera. He accomplished a real tour de force by participating in a meeting at the Departmental Council with the anti-radicalization unit, visiting the Urban Supervision Center favored by the mayor of Nice, and taking the time to engage with local elected officials and high-ranking security officers during a lunch, before addressing a larger audience for certain announcements.
Finally, later in the afternoon he inaugurated the new premises of the border police in Menton, which have been made more adequate given the tense situation of illegal immigration (the former spaces of the general directorate of customs have been brought up to standards and new 80 square meter prefabricated buildings have been added to increase reception capacity).
Displaying a “very British” style that is already trending in political circles, with a strict yet affable demeanor, the minister paid tribute to the work of the department’s elected officials and to the good coordination between departmental and state services, using a perfectly consensual tone in a political context that was politically unfavorable to him (for the record, Alpes-Maritimes is the most right-wing department in France),
What came out of this visit? All good things…
The Minister appreciated the work carried out by the unit for reporting cases of radicalization, managed by child protection services, which received 123 reports for the period of 2014-2015, with different responses depending on the cases. 32 cases were forwarded to the judiciary, leading to judicial or administrative procedures.
An experiment that will set precedent in the fight against terrorism, which must encompass prevention given that 55 people from Nice were recorded as having left to join the terrorist “galaxy” in the Middle East.
On this occasion, Eric Ciotti claimed that “the Alpes-Maritimes have implemented the first departmental plan to combat the radicalization of young people.” “An exemplary partnership with the state against radicalization,” commented Bernard Cazeneuve.
Greenlight also for the security policy through the dissemination of cameras across the territory connected to a supervision and control center whose effectiveness in identifying and detecting offenders is no longer in question.
But the highlight was indeed the afternoon speech in the gilded salon of honor of the Prefectural Palace.
The words “Republic and unity” formed the cornerstone of the Minister’s remarks to the elected officials and law enforcement representatives. With a language of truth, it was reminded that 149 people were killed in 2015, other attacks were thwarted, and that the threat persists and must be considered nationwide.
The fight against terrorism is far from over, and with it the fight against illegal immigration, which is its main consequence (the minister confirmed that France would accept 30,000 immigrants as part of the European quota distribution).
“We must challenge those who are against democracy and freedom while ensuring the security of the French,” concluded Bernard Cazeneuve.
The announcements, beyond the pleasantries, were not lacking: the department will host more than 200 agents (207 to be precise) who will strengthen the staff of the national police, the gendarmerie, and other security services. With accounting precision, Bernard Cazeneuve also listed the reinforcement of planned allocations (vehicles, weapons, etc.) that will increase the effectiveness of law enforcement actions.
A particular arrangement is in place for the Nice Carnival and the Menton Lemon Festival. It will be replicated for the Cannes Film Festival and, naturally, for the EURO 2016 matches in June.
Finally, very good news that delighted Christian Estrosi: the Minister of the Interior gave his favorable opinion to the hypothesis of transforming the former Saint-Roch Hospital (now disused after the commissioning of Pasteur 2) into a Police Hotel that will bring together the National Police, Municipal Police, and other services in one modern place, allowing for the pooling of resources and costs.
Moreover, the mayor of Nice did not hide his satisfaction: “after Pasteur 2, which is the hospital of the 21st century, Saint-Roch will be the Police Hotel of the 21st century.”
The teams of the Ministry and the city will focus on finalizing the project in the coming weeks and months.
Conclusion of the day: anti-radicalization unit, urban supervision center, security plan for events of international resonance and significant economic impact, Saint-Roch project…
Who said that good ideas are neither left nor right?
