Fillon hails success on crime
On a visit to a Paris police station the prime minister said detection had doubled in 10 years and crime was down 24%
PRIME Minister François Fillon praised successful efforts against crime over the last 10 years and said on a visit to a Paris police station that crime in general has dropped 24%.
Mr Fillon, who was joined by Interior Minister Claude Guéant on the visit in the 20th arrondissement, used the occasion to trumpet successes of the right in view of the presidential elections next year.
This came despite new figures which show home burglaries up 17% in France between December 2010 and November 2011 (though car theft and arson were markedly down).
Security has long been one of Nicolas Sarkozy’s priorities, as Interior Minister under Jacques Chirac and as president.
Fillon spoke of the success of the CCTV “videoprotection” plan in Paris, which he launched in the 20th arrondissement, saying it had proved “an essential contribution against crime” despite the fact that “certain people” had opposed it and said it meant a “Big Brother” style state.
“Obviously no one wants that,” he said, adding there was an ethics committee to supervise the cameras’ use and that “no abuse will be tolerated in the way the images are used”.
He hit out at Opposition proposals on crime, which he said included axing the Paris Prefecture de Police, or disarming municipal police, which he said here “not realistic” and “not responsible”.
“Fillon came to do politics,” said a senior civil servant quoted in Le Figaro. The source said he wanted to give a good image in Paris, where he is seeking election as an MP next year in the same seat as 7th arrondissement mayor Rachida Dati, who has made several criticisms of Mr Fillon recently.
