Security in Monaco: stability in 2025, technological advances expected in 2026
Prince Albert II attended the traditional New Year ceremony of the Public Security Department on Wednesday 21 January © Communications Department / Manuel Vitali
At the traditional New Year ceremony of the Police Department, held in the presence of Prince Albert II, Director Éric Arella presented an overall positive assessment of 2025, a year marked by the absence of major crime.
Éric Arella also outlined the strategic priorities for 2026, centred on technological modernisation and strengthened international cooperation.
General crime kept under control despite a slight rise
In 2025, the symbolic threshold of 1,000 recorded offences was crossed, with 1,055 incidents logged—an average of fewer than three per day. The increase is mainly due to a rise in so-called minor offences, including unintentional injuries, defamation, wilful damage, petty theft and fraud, particularly online. These lower-level offences alone account for 38% of overall crime.
By contrast, the most serious offences fell sharply. Burglaries decreased by 29%, and the Principality recorded no homicides or armed robberies in 2025, unlike the previous year. Street crime, the category most likely to affect the public’s sense of safety, remained contained at fewer than one incident per day, with 328 offences recorded.
Three notable incidents nonetheless marked the year: the night-time theft of luxury handbags on Boulevard des Moulins in April; the scam-based theft of watches during the closing of the Top Marques show in May; and a robbery at a Wurtemberg petrol station in December. Two of these three cases have already been solved, reflecting the effectiveness of the police, with an overall clearance rate of 52%, up three points compared with 2024.
Road safety: encouraging results
Road safety, a priority over the past year, showed positive results, with a 7% drop in injury-causing accidents (150 in 2025 compared with 161 in 2024) and a striking 33% decrease in drink-driving offences (90 positive tests in 2025 compared with 134 in 2024). Only one fatal accident was recorded at the end of the year, with no link to alcohol or drug use.
The implementation of Law No. 1582 of 14 November 2025 introduced preventive checks and random testing. During the festive period, 9% of these checks (21 cases out of 231 controls carried out) proved positive, underlining the need to maintain vigilance.
Sustained operational activity
The figures point to continued mobilisation of police resources: 12,380 police interventions; more than 134,000 identity checks (around 400 per day) and the round-the-clock monitoring of 1,387 CCTV cameras by the operational command and control centre.
The Criminal Assets Identification Group (GIAC), which marked its first year of operation, handled 32 financial investigations and seized criminal assets worth €128 million, bringing the total value of assets under management to €700 million.
2026: modernisation and facial recognition on the agenda
The 2025–2030 five-year plan, approved at the end of 2024, is beginning to take shape with the creation of five budgeted posts to strengthen surveillance at the northern border in Beausoleil—particularly in the luxury retail sector—and three additional posts for intelligence and criminal investigation services.
Among the priorities for 2026, technological modernisation occupies a central role. The Police Department aims to deploy artificial intelligence adapted to police processes via a single secure platform. The flagship project concerns facial recognition, with proposed legislation designed to “facilitate the automation of certain purely technical tasks” while safeguarding fundamental rights and freedoms. A certification process, in collaboration with the Monegasque Association for Standardization (AMNOR), has also been launched for two units: administrative policing and forensic science services.
Strengthening international cooperation
While cooperation with Interpol remains a historic priority for Monaco—the Principality contributed to the organisation’s creation in 1914 at the initiative of Prince Albert I—Éric Arella is keen to expand the use of Europol tools, particularly for sensitive money-laundering investigations. Bilateral relations with Italy are also set to be strengthened.
A busy 2026 calendar
The year ahead promises to be a demanding one, with several major events scheduled: the 50th anniversary of the RAMOGE Agreement on 25 and 26 June; the start of La Vuelta in Monaco on 22 and 23 August; and the Conference of Sports Ministers, alongside the traditional Grand Prix events. These represent significant logistical challenges for Police Department staff, for whom career-grade developments are expected, notably to rebalance the hierarchical structure.
Éric Arella praised the Principality’s ability to achieve “the remarkable feat of remaining a peaceful haven with a strong sense of security”, while stressing that “hard-earned stability and a sense of calm must never exclude vigilance”. He concluded by quoting Winston Churchill: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”