Tuesday, September 19th., 2017
Increased Military Presence Efficiency in France
May Be Questionable
Increased Military Presence Efficiency in France
May Be Questionable
©
REUTERS/ Yves Herman
The
coordinator at General Federation of Transport at the CFTC labor union
claims that a larger military presence in the streets and on public
transport in France provides a psychological effect, rather than an
actual boost to security.
PARIS
(Sputnik) — A larger military presence in the streets and on public
transport in France provides a psychological effect, reassuring people,
rather than an actual boost to security, Philippe Goncalves, the
president of the Haute-Marne department branch and coordinator
at General Federation of Transport at the CFTC labor union, told
Sputnik.
Last week, French media obtained an internal note by the command of the French National police, warning that public transport was particularly vulnerable to terrorist attacks.
According
to the trade union representative, it is difficult to assess the actual
efficiency of deploying larger numbers of security personnel in public
spaces.
Earlier, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said that the level of terror threat in France remains "at a very high level".
France has been under the state of emergency since it was declared on November 14, 2015 following the terror attacks in Saint-Denis and in Paris, when the Bataclan theater was seized by terrorists. Over 100 people died in the attacks, and more than 400 were injured then.
Last week, French media obtained an internal note by the command of the French National police, warning that public transport was particularly vulnerable to terrorist attacks.
"The main side of this security is
psychological, it’s the effect it has on the inhabitants or travellers,
reassured by the presence of the military. I am not sure that they are
capable of shooting the gun fast enough, they are not trained for that,"
Goncalves said.
©
REUTERS/ Christian Hartmann
"You put three officers of Suge [General
Surveillance] in the train, they are in the head of the train and
anybody can attack people with a knife or shoot Kalashnikov in the coach
in the other part of the train. Their efficiency is really hard
to measure, we enter into subjectivity here," Gonclaves noted.
He added that public transport faced the same security challenges
as any other venue, including a difficulty in tracing isolated
individuals to prevent attacks.Earlier, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said that the level of terror threat in France remains "at a very high level".
France has been under the state of emergency since it was declared on November 14, 2015 following the terror attacks in Saint-Denis and in Paris, when the Bataclan theater was seized by terrorists. Over 100 people died in the attacks, and more than 400 were injured then.