Coimbra to expand video surveillance system in Baixa and Parque Verde

The Coimbra City Council today, March 27, awarded the contract to expand the city’s video surveillance system, which will reinforce coverage in the downtown area and in the Mondego Green Park. The project represents an investment of 348,977.97 euros, including VAT, has an execution period of 196 days and will be carried out by the company Soltráfego – Soluções de Trânsito, Estacionamento e Comunicações, S.A.

At the session, the mayor of Coimbra highlighted the scope of the project, stressing that “when we talk about video surveillance, we talk about security, but also about trust. Confidence for those who live, work and visit the city”. For Ana Abrunhosa, “a city can only be fully experienced when people feel safe”.

A further 38 cameras reinforce coverage in the city

The contract aims to extend the existing system to new areas identified by the PSP, strengthening the capacity to prevent and respond to situations of insecurity, as well as protecting people and property in public spaces.

The new cameras will be concentrated mainly in downtown Coimbra, including areas such as Arnado, Terreiro da Erva, Rua da Sofia and various arteries in Baixinha, and in the Parque Verde do Mondego.

With this expansion, the system will now have 38 more cameras, in addition to the 17 already in place, bringing the total number of video surveillance equipment in the city to 55.

In addition to the security component, the system will also be able to support other areas of urban management, namely monitoring situations such as illegal waste disposal or analyzing flows for mobility studies.

Project with continuity and institutional coordination

In her speech, the mayor stressed that this is “another step on a path that didn’t start today”, recalling that the process began with the installation of the first cameras and has been developed over the last seven years.

“This is a project that is the result of continuity, of accumulated work between different executives and of strong institutional coordination,” she said.

The mayor also highlighted the role of the PSP in defining the locations and operational needs, stressing that this is “a good example of cooperation between the municipality, the security forces and the central administration”.

System with privacy guarantees

The system is designed to work on a closed and private network, without using the internet, with encrypted images and encrypted transmission. The cameras do not capture sound or use facial recognition technology, and there are also mechanisms in place to prevent the interior of homes from being seen, in accordance with legal requirements and the opinions of the competent authorities.

Security integrated into an urban development strategy

The expansion of the video surveillance system is part of a broader strategy to enhance public spaces, particularly in areas of high use, commercial activity and tourist enjoyment.

“Strengthening security is an essential condition for attracting more people, more investment and more life to these spaces,” stressed Ana Abrunhosa.

The mayor also stressed that the investment in video surveillance will continue and that there may be a next phase of expansion. However, it is not a substitute for other responses, advocating an integrated approach: “it is not enough to monitor or punish, we also need to intervene at the root of the problems, with appropriate social responses”.

With this intervention, the Municipality intends to contribute to a safer and more reliable urban environment, reinforcing the attractiveness of Baixa and the riverfronts and creating better conditions for those who live, work and visit Coimbra.

The ceremony took place in Praça do Comércio, next to the Church of Santiago, and was also attended by Councillor Luís Filipe, the president of the Union of Parishes of Coimbra, Carlos Pinto, the commander of the Coimbra PSP, Sérgio Loureiro, the president of the APBC, Assunção Ataíde, the company awarded the contract and the municipal services.

Coimbra moves ahead with extension of video surveillance system in Baixa and Parque Verde – coimbra.pt