Video surveillance, installed about a year ago in the center of Porto, has made it possible to save images related to 910 criminal cases, 592 of which this year, as reported this Wednesday by the capital’s PSP command, for which the system has proven to be “extremely beneficial”.
A few days before the celebration of the year since the commissioning of the CCTV system in Porto, the balance is “frankly positive”, the capital command of the PSP Porto told Lusa this Wednesday.
PSP highlights that the system has proven to be “extremely beneficial” in activating resources and managing police incidents, supporting decision-making and managing crowds, as well as in collecting evidence for criminal mischief purposes and subsequent investigations.
The system, launched on June 22, 2023, has already saved images related to 910 criminal cases, the majority of which (592) occurred this year.
“We can state that most of the surviving images are of high quality and suitable for evidentiary purposes, and their authors and modus operandi can be identified,” he states.
The video surveillance system, consisting of 79 cameras, covers arteries and public places in the city center, namely in União de Fregesias de Cedofeita, Santo Ildefonso, Sé, Miragaia, São Nicolau and Vitória.
Video surveillance operates 24 hours a day, every day of the week, as a result of the cooperation protocol established between the Municipality of Porto and the PSP.
“We believe that in the near future this will contribute to increasing the sense of security of the population and will reduce crime committed in places covered by video surveillance,” the PSP says.
While the collected images serve evidentiary purposes, PSP emphasizes that the system’s “great added value” involves real-time visualization and therefore on-site activation of resources.
“As an example, let’s take a case of an attack on two tourists by a group of about a dozen people. The officers on duty at the Video Surveillance Control Center checked the attack and took the necessary measures. Those injured were quickly treated by emergency medical services and nine offenders were intercepted by PSP,” he illustrates.
At the end of December 2023, the Porto City Council approved the acquisition and maintenance of 117 more CCTV cameras by Soltráfego for €1.9 million.
These new cameras will be installed in the western and eastern areas of the city, namely on streets in the areas of Asprela, Campanhão, Stadio do Dragao, Pastelheira and Diogo Botelho.
In response to Lusa’s question, the Chamber of Porto said this Wednesday that it continues to await the decision of the Court of Auditors on the commencement of the contract, which provides for the installation of the system “within a maximum period of 180 days.”
CCTV camera locations are determined by the PSP through “location crime analysis.”
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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