A town in Normandy has become the latest to use video surveillance to tackle crime and issue fines.
Ouistreham (Calvados), a port town on the Normandy coast and home to just over 9,000 people, has installed 77 CCTV cameras since July 2024, which can be monitored live by police from a control room.
“By implementing video surveillance in its territory, the town intends to more effectively combat certain forms of crime (burglary, road safety, etc.) which directly affect the population,” said an online statement from the town.
The number of cameras used by gendarmerie and police in France rose from 60,000 in 2013 to 90,000 in 2023 according to a report by two MPs.
And algorithmic video surveillance was used during the Paris Olympics, harnessing AI-based software to scan the crowds attending the events. The move sparked concern from privacy advocates.
In Ouistreham, CCTV footage is viewed in the Urban Supervision Centre in the municipal police headquarters.
The town uses the surveillance for legal purposes, it said, including personal safety, protection of public buildings, prevention of property damage, prevention of drug trafficking, road traffic regulation and detection of traffic violations.
Recorded images are kept for 30 days and then automatically deleted, unless they are being used in a legal case.
In August, the town began using video footage to issue fines. The practice is legal, but towns must adhere to strict regulation governing the use of real-time recording and facial recognition.
“In the Code de la sécurité intérieure there are rules explaining how these devices can be used,” Charles-Edouard Renault, a lawyer at De Gaulle Fleurance, told The Connexion.
These mainly concern traffic offences, such as speeding or running a red light.
“What is evolving with the accelerating digitalisation of cameras is that they can even detect if you are using your phone while driving, or if you are not wearing your seatbelt,” said Mr Renault.
Culprits are punished with points or fines, depending on the offence. For example, using a handheld mobile phone could see a driver lose three points from their licence and be given a €135 fine.
Drivers have 45 days to contest a video ticket by submitting an appeal.
France’s data protection authority, CNIL, said that video fines can also be issued for offences related to illegal dumping.
Privacy laws
Ouistreham said it is careful its cameras comply with public privacy and freedom laws, including Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which states that “everyone has the right to respect for their private and family life, their home, and their correspondence”.
Consequently, it prohibits filming in certain locations including building entrances, the interior of homes and of people in private spaces.
As well as helping with law and order, towns also have a financial incentive to install cameras.
“The capacity to issue fines has increased, and considering these devices are installed by communes, at the end of the day it brings in money,” said Mr Renault.
“I suppose it is also an easy way for towns to let the population know they are taking care of their security. The more cameras you have outside, the more safe people feel.”
There is debate over how effective video surveillance actually is in reducing crime, with no conclusive study undertaken by the government.
Civil liberties groups in France have long opposed the rise of video surveillance, arguing it affects people’s privacy and personal freedom.
In 2024, the French National Consultative Commission on Human Rights raised concerns that video surveillance was “becoming commonplace” without sufficient consideration of people’s “rights and freedoms”.
However, surveys have shown the public generally supports video surveillance. A 2024 OpinionWay poll found nearly 90% of French people approved of it in public places.
But some towns have arguably gone too far. In December 2024, CNIL issued a formal notice to six municipalities, which it did not name, as well as France’s Interior Ministry, for breaching camera surveillance rules. This included the use of augmented real time facial recognition software, which is illegal in France.
Residents can complain about surveillance cameras they believe may breach their privacy by contacting the CNIL or their department’s Commission départementale de vidéoprotection. If proved to be in the wrong place, the cameras can be removed.
Normandy installing 88 new surveillance cameras
The department of Eure, also in Normandy, is installing 88 new surveillance cameras on roads that provide access to the territory, to dissuade (and catch) criminals coming from neighbouring departments.
The initiative partially launched on October 1, and is due to be fully installed by spring 2026.
“This new video surveillance network will monitor all entry and exit points in the department, as well as major intersections. This spider's web will provide crucial assistance to the police and gendarmerie in solving their investigations,” read a press release on the department’s website.
The department said the roads it is targeting are often used by criminals, particularly burglars and drug traffickers, from surrounding areas.
