Over 200 cameras planned in Skopje to detect illegal dumps and park vandalism

Skopje plans to install more than 200 surveillance cameras across the city to detect illegal dumping and acts of vandalism in public parks, the mayor announced. The project cannot move forward until the Agency for Personal Data Protection gives final approval.

Where the cameras will be placed

Mayor Orce Gjorgjievski said the cameras will be deployed at critical points where unauthorized waste sites form and in parks that have repeatedly been targeted by vandals. "We are waiting for the final approval from the Agency for Personal Data Protection. We will place more than 200 cameras at critical points across the City of Skopje. They will cover places where dumps are created and parks that are constantly under attack. The City of Skopje is not Orce's, nor any political party's. The city belongs to all Skopje residents and just as we take care of our homes, so we must take care of the city," he said.

As an example of recurring vandalism Gjorgjievski singled out the Lotos fountain in the City Park and the benches around it. "We renovated it after many years, it looks beautiful and is one of the recognizable features of the City of Skopje. Since we renovated it, three times already they paint graffiti on the benches which we constantly repaint," he said.

The mayor stressed that funds currently spent removing damage caused by careless behaviour could be redirected to other projects if such incidents are reduced. Alongside technical measures, Gjorgjievski added, the municipality intends to pursue awareness campaigns to encourage citizens to preserve public spaces.

Officials say installation will begin only after the data-protection authority’s clearance is issued; no timeline was provided for deployment in the mayor’s remarks.

Photo: Fejsbuk