Monitoring in six locations in Limassol. The city wants to combat vandalism.

Cameras are scheduled to be installed in six public spaces in Limassol. The city is preparing a monitoring system to reduce vandalism and protect municipal property, but before installation, each location must be assessed for its privacy protection.

The first analyses focus on two parks and the historic center of Agia Fyla. Subsequent analyses will cover popular seaside areas and the area around the school. The city is collaborating with the Office of the Personal Data Protection Commissioner and external legal counsel on this matter.

Limassol Cameras. Six Locations on the List

The city is analyzing the possibility of installing monitoring in six locations:

• Gauguin Park in Zakaki,
• Philhellenon Park,
• the historic center of Agia Fyla,
• the coastal area of Molos, also known as Epichosi,
• Aktia Odos region,
• around Agia Fyla High School.

For the first three locations, the evaluation procedure is more advanced.

For Gauguin Park and Philhellenon Park, the assessment so far is positive, but the city must meet certain conditions.

Cameras can't see everything

Monitoring is intended to protect specific facilities and urban infrastructure.

This means that the range of cameras should be limited to places that actually require protection.

They cannot, without justification, extend to spaces where the intrusion on privacy would be disproportionate. Authorities point to restrooms located on public property as an example.

Each camera must therefore have a precisely defined mounting location, direction and recording area.

More problems in Agia Fyla

The situation in the historic centre of Agia Fyla turned out to be more complicated.

Residents and visitors pass through there every day, and there are houses and restaurants in the immediate vicinity.

Therefore, the city was asked to change the original assumptions and provide a more detailed justification for the need for monitoring.

The city modified the project.

Each camera's position, range and field of view are to be precisely determined so that the system does not lead to excessive recording of residents' lives.

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Molos and other places still to be assessed

The procedure has also started for the next three areas.

This concerns the coastal area of Molos/Epichosi, Aktia Odos and the area around the Agia Fyla High School.

In these cases, assessments of the impact of the planned monitoring on personal data protection are prepared.

The city also collects information about previous cases of vandalism, fires and environmental problems.

The data is intended to demonstrate whether installing monitoring in a specific location is actually necessary and proportionate to the existing threat.

Who will have access to the recordings?

This is another issue that needs to be resolved before the system is launched.

The city must establish technical rules for storing and managing recordings.

The scope of access to data is also to be defined, including the possible authorizations of the company selected to implement and operate the system.

Only after completing this work will it be possible to determine the final monitoring parameters and begin the contractor selection procedure.

Monitoring is intended to protect property, but also privacy.

The mayor of Limassol, Yiannis Armeftis, emphasizes that the city's goal is to create clear and legal rules for the use of surveillance.

The cameras are to appear where there is a documented need to protect urban infrastructure and where there are repeated cases of vandalism.

At the same time, the city wants to avoid a situation in which the fight against property destruction would lead to disproportionate interference with the privacy of residents.

Only after completing the assessments, consultations and determining the technical details will it be known when monitoring will begin in individual locations.

Sources: KYPE, Limassol Municipality