Following the assassination attempt and the snatching of a watch in a public place, Christophe Mirmand believes that the CCTV surveillance system could be enhanced by technology designed to identify “undesirable and unwelcome individuals” present within the territory.
An explosion on 29 June, thefts of watches and jewellery – the Monegasque summer has been marred by security concerns. How do you respond to those who say that security in Monaco is no longer what it used to be?

It is important to remember that the perpetrators of these offences were identified in record time. I commend the efficiency of the Public Security Department, which conducted extremely swift criminal investigations. We must also look at the number of incidents of street crime. In 2025, there were 328 such incidents – that is, fewer than one per day. So we need to put this perceived sense of insecurity felt by residents into the context of these actual figures, whilst giving it all the attention it deserves.

Such as the use of facial recognition?

A bill has been tabled to provide a legal framework for facial recognition technologies. We must be very clear to avoid giving the impression that just anyone could be monitored by such a system. That would certainly not be the case. Within the legal framework, the aim would simply be to identify individuals who are the subject of an investigation into…