Barcelona boosts street surveillance to curb rising crime

The Catalan newspaper "La Vanguardia" reported that Barcelona plans to prevent crime by installing more street cameras.

Currently, the capital of Catalonia operates just 160 surveillance cameras, which is a small number compared to other European cities of similar size. For comparison, the French city of Nice has about three thousand cameras deployed throughout its streets.

The new devices are primarily intended for dark, narrow streets where crimes frequently occur. There are also plans to increase the number of cameras in the city center, where large crowds gather year-round, not just during the holiday season, consisting mainly of tourists.

Although the exact number of additional cameras has not yet been determined, city authorities emphasize the need to improve public safety by rapidly expanding the monitoring system.

The first device monitoring public spaces was installed in Barcelona in 2001 at George Orwell Square, sparking a debate about privacy protection at the time.

We have repeatedly reported on dangerous incidents that have occurred on the streets of Barcelona. Petty thefts happen almost daily, and unfortunately, there are also more serious incidents.

Just under three weeks ago, an aggressive man was recorded during an altercation, and the video appeared online. He approached a pair of tourists with a small child in a stroller and began yelling very aggressively at the parents, then struck the one-year-old girl in the face with great force before her father could react.

This recorded incident was not the only act of aggression by this man. Another victim was a 60-year-old man, who was attacked without reason. He suffered numerous facial injuries and was badly bruised.