Break in

The Tabac downstairs from us was broken into last night. I slept through both the robbery (at 1:30 AM), the alarm, AND the Gendarmes. Chloe was woken up by the alarm, but by the time she looked out the window, the owner was there with the Gendarmes. I talked to him today, and it is his fourth robbery in five years. He did say that it was much better than in the center of town, where as a Tabac owner (which are apparently favorite targets) you can expect to have your store broken into 2-3 times per year! They came in through the non-fortified owners entrance via a crowbar and stole cigarettes. He said they left all the books, noting that they were not intellectual burglars, apparently. In le Fontanil, the boulangerie, mini market and florist have all been broken into in the last several years. When I suggested that he install a surveillance camera over his doors, he told me that he would need authorization from the city hall to do that. I can understand not wanting to have France become like the UK, where CCTV cameras monitor every street corner, but I don't see why a shop owner can't point a camera AT HIS OWN DOOR! I guess there would be no use in just installing a pinhole camera himself because he wouldn't be able to show it to the Gendarmes for fear of getting fined himself. Brilliant.