5. France

Drones proposed to tackle Marseille crime

A mayoral candidate has proposed the use of drones over the streets of
Marseille to combat the city's notorious network of drug dealers and
reputation for violent crime.

   Eugène Caselli
   Marseilles mayoral candidate Eugène Caselli Photo: ANNE-CHRISTINE
   POUJOULAT/AFP

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   Eugène Caselli, the Socialist Party president of the Marseille urban
   community, and mayoral candidate, proposed on Thursday that drone
   aircraft be used to seek out drug-dealing and violent crime on the
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   he added.

   A petition called 'Will It Take Batman To Save Marseille?', was
   launched after a vigilante pensioner was shot dead after he ran over
   robbers and then confronted them with a baseball bat and pepper spray.
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   Among the concerns are fears that drones would risk invading the
   privacy of law-abiding Marseille residents.

   Police officer David-Olivier Reverdy said: "Before we send in drones,
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   and to break them up."

   Crime in Marseille has spiralled with the 13 gun murders in 2013 alone
   prompting the emergency deployment of 130 extra riot police and 24 more
   detectives.