Marie-Christine Arnautu protests against the decision of the mayor of Nice to use video surveillance to reduce, and at least penalize, traffic violations of drivers whose respect for the city’s rules is merely a fiction.
Unfortunately, it is enough to drive through the streets and other roads to realize this when one is not a direct victim.
But, the Front National representative touches a sensitive nerve, that of security, and criticizes the choice to direct the use of cameras towards traffic control.
What a terrible dilemma to have to choose between personal safety and road safety!
Reaction of Marie-Christine Arnautu
For years, the mayor of Nice has based his entire security policy on the use of video surveillance. A policy that could widely be questioned: crime continues to increase in the city’s “sensitive” neighborhoods (+22.6% in the overall Priority Security Zones, and even +48% in Les Moulins), and the camera control center monopolizes 70 officers while – according to the municipal police’s own figures – each camera produces less than one arrest per year!
Since this Monday, April 27, video-verbalization has been applied to the entire city. Thus, the cameras that the people of Nice were told served to ensure their safety, and which they finance through their taxes, will now mainly be used to issue fines throughout the city, simply by using video. The real goal of the operation is obviously to fill the coffers to finance the mayor’s extravagant projects and the municipality’s lifestyle. As usual, whether for the State or local authorities, motorists are always considered as cash cows.
Christian Estrosi carefully avoided presenting this measure in his program during the municipal elections last year. While it is, of course, necessary to fight against illegal parking, we cannot accept this new decision that will impact part of the economic activity of small businesses.
That is why today we are launching a major campaign against the extension of video-verbalization: throughout the week, 20,000 leaflets denouncing this new Estrosi initiative will be distributed throughout the city. The campaign will also be relayed on social media through the dissemination of several visuals.
With the National Front, demand that the primary mission of the municipal police and video surveillance is indeed to pursue criminals and not to fine motorists.
