Security in Bairro Alto

Bairro Alto is one of Lisbon’s oldest and most characteristic neighbourhoods, now a busy nightlife area of Fado houses, bars and restaurants.

Residents and associations have grown concerned about rising crime in the neighbourhood, including vandalism, damage to public and private property, assaults and thefts, the sale of illicit substances on the streets, brawls, and gang violence over control of sales spaces, alongside complaints from residents about noise disturbing their right to rest at night. In 2014, Bairro Alto became the first area of Lisbon to have a video surveillance system installed.

Contextual Characteristics

This case is set in an urban neighbourhood of Lisbon, Portugal.

Objectives

Protecting citizens in public spaces and crowded places.
Increasing the population’s sense of security.
Fighting crime.

Description

In 2009, the Public Security Police (PSP) requested for the first time that video surveillance cameras be installed in Bairro Alto, Lisbon. The request rested on two assumptions: that the area was frequented by young people from sensitive urban municipalities such as Amadora, Sintra, Oeiras and Loures, and that residents and passers-by shared a growing feeling of insecurity as a result of an increase in crime, both real and perceived, a concern that grows more acute at night. The cameras were installed on 22 May 2014, a decade ago. The municipality of Lisbon funds their installation and maintenance, while the PSP’s Lisbon Metropolitan Command manages the system.

Stakeholders Involved

Municipality of Lisbon
PSP Lisbon Metropolitan Command
Lisbon’s Municipal Police

Social Innovation & Methodology

2024 marked ten years since the video surveillance system was installed. To study residents’ perceptions and experiences of the system, a public survey was launched in Bairro Alto. The survey forms part of post-doctoral research at the Communication Institute of the New University of Lisbon, funded by national funds through the FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology, under project reference UIBD/05021/2020.

Close collaboration among the municipality, the police and residents has opened up dialogue on key issues, fostering joint efforts to prevent crime and improve security in Bairro Alto’s crowded public spaces.

Outcomes and Impact

According to the PSP, video surveillance cameras in Bairro Alto play an important role in reducing crime, but street policing and checks on establishments’ opening hours are needed as additional measures to ensure security.

Limitations

In 2022, the municipality of Lisbon acknowledged that video surveillance cameras alone had proved insufficient to prevent rising crime. This led to the conclusion that neighbourhood policing needed to be stepped up, through more foot patrols by the Lisbon municipal police and a greater presence in areas with high footfall at night, alongside closer monitoring of establishments’ opening hours in Bairro Alto.

There is a lack of data to assess the video surveillance system’s necessity and impact, so it remains unclear whether, after a decade of operation, crime has actually decreased or simply moved elsewhere.

Video surveillance can also be biased, unfairly targeting particular groups, races and ethnicities without proper justification, and the National Data Protection Commission has not directly validated how the cameras are used and monitored.

Sustainability

Video surveillance in Bairro Alto has been authorised until 2025. Under the terms of that authorisation, the system runs continuously, twenty-four hours a day, every day of the week, with ‘sound capture and recording’ permitted whenever there is a concrete danger to the safety of people or property.