Residents “outraged” by Lisbon CCTV locations

Residents of the Cais do Sodré area in Lisbon are contesting the choice of locations for the installation of 30 video surveillance cameras and complain that the most dangerous streets have been left out.

“We are outraged and shocked. They immediately chose places where no one lives and where no one passes through,” Isabel Sá da Bandeira, from the Aqui Mora Gente Association, told Lusa.

The association that intends to represent the residents of the city of Lisbon is contesting the locations chosen by the entities to install the 30 video surveillance cameras in the Cais do Sodré area, which had been expected for a decade.

According to this association, the cameras were installed “on streets where no one passes”, noting that nine of them “are filming the void”.

“The cameras were installed in areas where they were not needed and where there are only homeless people,” he lamented.

In the association's understanding, the cameras should be placed in places such as São Paulo Street, São Paulo Square, Flores Street, Stephens Square, Alecrim Street, Remolares Street and Remolares Street.

“Places where there is crime every day, scenes of fights and drug trafficking. However, the [Lisbon] City Council is going to install cameras in Cais de Sodré where there is no one. We cannot understand this,” he highlighted.

Contacted by Lusa, a source from Lisbon City Council , chaired by Carlos Moedas (PSD), stressed that the responsibility for choosing the locations where the video surveillance cameras are installed lies with the PSP and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the only entities responsible for “assessing security risks and making adjustments”.

“We can reveal that President Carlos Moedas has already formally requested the Ministry of Internal Administration to evaluate the change of priorities to the plan defined in 2018 and to implement a video protection system in Arroios, São Domingos de Benfica, Martim Moniz, Avenida da Liberdade and other streets in Cais do Sodré (Rua dos Remolares, Travessa dos Remolares and Praça de São Paulo)”, he added.

Lusa asked the Ministry of Administration about this request, but has not received a response to date.

Related article:

• Lisbon CCTV being installed