Reinforcing video surveillance systems and incorporating alarm systems is one of the 53 measures provided for in the Integrated Urban Security Strategy (EISU), a guideline document for public security policies approved by the Government in July.

The resolution of the Council of Ministers indicates that the introduction of an alarm system in video surveillance systems constitutes “an important instrument of particular importance for the detection of situations that require rapid action, allowing the security forces to allocate adequate resources in the face of a possible threat identified by the system”.

According to the Government, the alarm is an application inserted in the video surveillance system that, given a set of indicators, emits “a signal to the system operator, alerting him to a risk or danger situation”.

As an example, the document states that "the signal is issued when a vehicle enters the wrong way on a certain road or when at the airport a certain piece of luggage remains isolated and immobile after a certain time".

“In this way, the operator can more quickly activate the means and resources necessary for the detected occurrence”, he underlines, noting the growing adherence of municipalities to the installation of video surveillance systems.

High crime areas

Within the scope of information and communication technologies, other measures provided for in the EISU are the creation of a criminality georeferencing program to better understand the places with the highest incidence of crimes.

The georeferencing of crime, using contextual variables, allows a better understanding of the phenomenon and the adoption of measures for its prevention, allowing the use of the Geographic Information System (GIS) platform to map criminal occurrences, georeferencing the place, its vulnerabilities and what happens on a daily basis.

“This is an important decision support tool, as it also enables the identification of (anonymised) profiles of perpetrators and victims, analysis of the type of crime and opportunities for its occurrence, namely through the integration of data that establishes the relationship”, says the document.

Proximity policing

Proximity policing is also another of EISU's bets, which establishes the acquisition of more mobile service and visibility units that will allow "to adapt and reinforce policing in areas with the highest concentration of people", in addition to coordinated patrol actions with the Municipal Police.

EISU also creates a new proximity policing program for higher education, called Safe Higher Education, in addition to continuing and reinforcing the Safe School, Safe Seniors and Safe Sports programs, as well as expanding the project aimed at the areas with the highest concentration of nightlife establishments.

The Integrated Urban Security Strategy, which comes into force on Thursday, also provides for the signing of new Local Security Contracts, “with a view to preventing juvenile delinquency, eliminating criminogenic urban factors, reducing social vulnerabilities and the promotion of citizenship and gender equality, promoting a concerted approach by different social actors to local realities”.