The gestures and accusations from the First Deputy Mayor of Nice in the hours following the July 14th attack initiated an indecent back-and-forth between the City and the State to shift as much responsibility as possible, of which the Sandra Bertin case became the climax.
The inaccuracies in the statements of Nice’s video surveillance manager won’t change anything; a nauseating atmosphere has settled in, and besides the lack of respect for the victims, it poses a danger to the safety of the people of Nice.
How will the national and municipal police be able to collaborate now in such a deteriorating context while we remain under threat?
These political quarrels must stop immediately, and everyone will be better off by taking responsibility. Failures occurred with the police personnel, the spotting of the truck by video surveillance, and the protection of the roadway; that is a fact.
But the truth is that more police personnel would not have prevented the deadly truck from entering the Promenade des Anglais, nor would a concrete barrier on the road if it hadn’t been doubled on the sidewalk, nor the presence of Christian Estrosi in the preparatory meetings. And we must admit that without intelligence, spotting the comings and goings of a 19-ton truck was not obvious.
So let’s stop the controversies and instead of finding culprits or conspiracies, let’s try to find solutions together. This will require a true national union, taking into account all sensibilities and all goodwill from wherever they come, from the Left Front to the National Front, because the challenge demands it. Quite the opposite of what has happened over the past 10 days.
Xavier Garcia (First Secretary PS 06)
