Design for Security: Creating Safer Cities with Police Cooperation
Edited on
31 August 2022The city is a key scene for the development of violence and crime. Everyday life in the world’s major cities pits us against processes of stigmatisation, segregation and fragmentation that objectively and symbolically impact the way we relate to each other. Therefore, violence and crime have a substantial impact on the construction of citizenship as well as on the consolidation of inclusive or exclusive contexts of urban life
It is now increasingly evident that the only real alternative for dealing with violence and crime in urban spaces is through a joint approach that includes crime control and prevention measures. In most countries, public investment levels are much higher for control, especially in increasing police and prison infrastructure, while investment in prevention programmes or initiatives is still limited and in many countries almost non-existent.
The prevention of violence and crime is not a univocal concept or restricted to a single interpretation, so it must be understood from different theoretical approaches that lead to the definition of various types of action. The types of crime that influence our assessment and use of public spaces are known as Situational Crimes. They are opportunity crimes as a whole, which means that they require specific environmental conditions to be in place.
Crime prevention in urban environments depends on the emphasis we place on the nature of the spaces we create between buildings. By carefully organising these spaces so that they are attractive (in all senses), it is possible to safely accommodate all types of urban experience and thereby reduce fear and the likelihood of crime. Careful observation of people’s behaviour in public spaces is an essential part of creating safe environments.
The analyzed place
Puerta del Sol (meaning The Sun's Gate) is one of the most renowned central squares in Madrid. In the 1400s, it was the gate or entrance of the east side of the city, since the sun rises in the east. Is known as 'Spain's belly button' because is the center of the Kilometre Zero stone slab who marks the point from which six of Spain’s national roads are measured. This unique square has to coexist with numerous technical infrastructures, public lighting, various facilities to support the population and multiple road and underground public transports. It's also a home to several city's landmarks, such as statue of the Bear and the Arbutus-Cherry Tree, the Equestrian statue of King Charles III and his famous clock tower.
It´s also famous for its New Year's celebration which has been broadcast on television, a meeting point both for tourists and Madrileños and place of concentration of countless festivities and manifestations. Being a tourist spot and a commercial area, it attracts a huge population daily, and the responsibility of ensuring the safety of passersby is the responsability of the municipal police.
In this Puerta del Sol project, several architectural solutions will be implemented, remodelling of street furniture, integration of access control technology, and new CCTV cameras, with a large investment by the City Council, leaving a lighter space for the citizens and with a perception of greater subjective security, because this objective will be almost guaranteed with the means to be implemented.
The Municipal Police force have been working on new public policies, based on horizontal coordination and cooperation among the different areas and departments of the City Council. Its contribution to the urban plan and final solutions, based on its experience and knowledge of the terrain and CPTED techniques, will improve the security of space and citizens.
The plan of Madrid is being carried out within the parameters of UrbSecurity’s objectives, with the implementation of good security practices that promote the integration and enjoyment of attractive, yet safe, spaces. Creating “magnetism”, attractive places, is a main and complementary objective of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). Through our social activity in attractive places we feel that we control our own security and are less vulnerable to criminal acts.
Participation
At the start of the urbsecurity project, meetings were held with the Works Departments, which are responsible for carrying out the remodelling of the Square, with the winning Architects coming up with the idea of change, which has at the same time been modified by recommendations from the Police according to the methodology of URBACT.
The experiences and ideas of the other partners participating in this Project have been very important and enriching, since certain solutions that they were giving have been useful for us to copy and adapt them to the initial idea.
The small action was carried out through the installation of high-resolution CCTV in an industrial area of a district in the outskirts, where several illegal and unhealthy activities were taking place, considerably lowering the crime rates of those areas and neighbourhoods.
Prevention of a terrorist attack
Currently, in the face of terrorist threats, fixed obstacles are installed, which in one way or another, spoil the aesthetics of the place.
These architectural elements/barriers are removed as required and are subsequently removed by cleaning teams, in most cases, who are responsible for their removal and subsequent disposal.
Its installation would be limited to one or more streets that start from the Puerta del Sol and that are susceptible to be controlled by its channelling of the flow of people to control the capacity of the square.
The projected idea would consist of the installation of two rows of hydraulic bollards whose maintenance and control would be carried out by the Police, in this way they would become multifunctional elements, so that they could be activated depending on the circumstances or the nature of the event, that is: demonstrations, loading and unloading, prevention of terrorist acts, access control, etc.
Submitted by Patricia Moital on