Via Canada.com -
PARIS - France will triple its number of video surveillance cameras by 2009, Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said on Friday, adding the measure was necessary to fight terrorism and street crime.
Alliot-Marie told Le Monde newspaper video surveillance had remained relatively undeveloped in France.
"The latest attacks in London were prevented thanks to their video surveillance system, (which is) 10 times more developed than ours," she told Le Monde.
An official report put the number of authorized cameras in France at around 340,000 at the moment, Le Monde said.
Alliot-Marie said Paris's RATP public transport network would increase its numbers of cameras and the exchange of images between local communities would also be strengthened.
"I'll be particularly vigilant that French people's safety will always be assured in respect of their freedoms," she said.
France stepped up security measures after the 2005 attacks in London's transport system that killed 52 people.
French authorities have also said gang violence is an increasing problem in Paris, which has been the scene of repeated scuffles between rival gangs in recent months.
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I am not sure which London attacks Alliot-Marie is referencing...but if she is talking about the failed car bomb attack in June, then she needs to update her statement.
Video Surveillance may have played an important role in ID'ing the suspects, but the car bomb failed because of faulty cell phone detonators...and not because of cameras.
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