"We want to go further": the Region's plans to strengthen security in its high schools

Will high school students in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes soon be scanned before entering their schools? Will they also be monitored by so-called smart video surveillance, capable of detecting fires or crowd movements? This, in any case, is the wish of the Aura Region in the coming months, which hopes to be able to experiment with these two systems in the schools under its responsibility.

Also read : In Lyon, securing middle and high schools is also a political issue

" These security issues are absolutely major for us, " Fabrice Pannekoucke began in front of the press this Thursday, June 26, a few minutes before the start of the Plenary Assembly. " It is a subject that obliges us and if we do nothing, we bear a share of responsibility for what can happen, " continued the President of the Region, referring to the murder of a middle school supervisor killed two weeks ago in Nogent. A few hours after the murder, Prime Minister François Bayrou had raised the idea of ​​installing metal detectors at the entrance to certain establishments. A " false good idea " according to the Aura Region, which points to " the major technical and logistical limitations " of such a device, while Renaud Pfeffer, Deputy Vice-President for Security, explained ten days ago to Lyon Capitale that he was " very much in favor " of the installation of these metal detectors .

" We are seeing violence that is increasingly taking hold in our schools ," explains Catherine Staron, Vice President for High Schools, recalling that since 2016, the Region has been "a pioneer in securing high schools " with a " massive investment " of around 102 million euros. " At the time, this plan was the subject of massive criticism, " the Vice President also recalls. " But 10 years later, we can clearly see that we were right. We were even right before everyone else, " she boasts.

Also read : The Region wants to experiment with body scanners at the entrance to high schools: the opposition tackles the "security drift" of the executive

Through this report, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region intends to be able to use algorithmic video surveillance and body scanners within schools. These technologies are already in use, particularly in airports for scanners capable of detecting the slightest object, whether metallic or not, and during the recent Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games for algorithmic video surveillance.

" I regret that we are not brave enough in our country," continues Fabrice Pannekoucke. " The technique existed in the Olympic law, and I find it a shame that we did not continue the experiment beyond that." To address these legal constraints, the Region announces that it has entered into a dialogue with the government to " adapt the regulations ." Today, the use of body scanners is limited to major events bringing together more than 300 people. Algorithmic video surveillance was only tested during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

While the regional opposition had described these proposals as a " security drift ," denouncing a " showy deliberation ," the Region says it is ready to launch this experiment as soon as possible. At least when the legal framework allows it.