final stretch under tension

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In all shopping centers in France, it is a final stretch under surveillance. Millions of gifts wrapped, families came in their thousands to help Santa Claus fill his bag. But so that the festivities rhyme with serenity, in the shadows, good Samaritans keep watch. At the Fenouillet shopping center (Haute-Garonne), near Toulouse, 83,000 visitors since Friday. The big day crowd. So, the shopping center manager stepped up security: thirteen agents instead of the usual six. Parking, entrances and agents are posted absolutely everywhere. And all these potential problems are closely monitored in the security PC. “I can zoom, I can turn any angle I want.”explains Amine Meskine, fire safety officer.

Amin Meskin and his colleague do not take their eyes off the different screens. They see everything that happens in real time in the aisles of the shopping center, even the thieves. “It’s almost always the same ones, so we see them, we know they’re there to steal. So we monitor them from afar”he confides.

Suddenly, the agent is called by his colleagues stationed in the parking lot. A fight has just broken out between two motorists. At the origin of the brawl, a dispute over a parking space. The security agents, who arrived very quickly on the scene, managed to calm the situation. The police called in for reinforcements will manage the rest of the incident. If the influx of customers is sometimes a source of tension, the other concern is theft.

So at Christmas, stores are extra vigilant. In another store, in addition to a security guard, all expensive clothing is placed high up and all have an anti-theft device. And to further strengthen security, a patrol of reserve police officers is deployed. As soon as they arrive, they are already called for shoplifting. A handbag for 25 euros. The saleswoman takes the police into the back room where the young woman, caught in the act, tries to justify herself. “It is the store itself which will authorize the lady to pay up to the price that the handbag cost. We advised them to file a letter of complaint anyway to leave at least a trace”indicates Michel D’auge, reserve captain of the National Gendarmerie.

These few days before Christmas are crucial for shopping centers which want to attract more and more customers. Reassuring them is a priority.