A few days before the start of the school year, and to address the legitimate concerns of many parents and teachers, the Department in charge of the middle schools in Alpes-Maritimes has decided to implement a specific plan to enhance the safety of students and staff within and around the schools.
Numerous measures have already been taken in recent years, as the safety of middle schools has long been a priority for the Department of Alpes-Maritimes. This is demonstrated by the development of video surveillance—with 528 cameras now installed in 70 middle schools in the department—and by the establishment of 15 school mediation teams that safeguard the surroundings of 40 schools.
However, it has become necessary to strengthen this system by installing new equipment and deploying additional human resources.
In this context, and since the “attack alert level” has been extended to the Alpes-Maritimes department since July 15, vigilance must be at its highest on all sites that could be potential targets for terrorists, particularly educational establishments.
Key Figures
More than fifty additional surveillance cameras will be installed around the public areas near the schools.
€2 million of spending in 2016
€4 million planned for 2017
Regarding private middle schools, the departmental aid budget under the Falloux Law will be increased to €1.1 million in 2017 (up from €800,000 this year) to allow institutions that wish to invest particularly in security.
