The city of Wels has been using video surveillance to combat crime since 2015. There are a total of 19 cameras throughout the city. Within the first few years, the clearance rate increased from 53 percent to 62 percent, and crimes fell by more than 5 percent throughout the city. The number of reported drug offenses has also fallen by 28 percent since 2018 due to video surveillance.
However, surveillance cameras cannot be installed preventatively. There needs to be a reason – such as regular criminal incidents – to install video surveillance. Mayor Dr. Andreas Rabl and security officer and deputy mayor Gerhard Kroiß demand that the installation of video cameras in municipalities should be made easier. “Liberalization” is needed in this area in order to be able to act quickly and unbureaucratically. In the future, it must be possible to install surveillance cameras before crime hotspots develop.
Video surveillance supports the work of the police because, on the one hand, criminals can be found more quickly and, on the other hand, the cameras have a deterrent effect. Due to video surveillance in Wels, the population’s subjective feeling of security has increased enormously, which at the same time increases the quality of life.
In the city of Wels, video surveillance for public places was introduced for the first time in November 2015. It started with three locations, on Kaiser-Josef-Platz, in Pfarrgasse (two cameras) and on the town square. About a year later, four more cameras were installed. In 2020, the ÖBB parking deck at the main station was also equipped with video surveillance systems. There are a total of eleven cameras installed there.
Mayor Dr. Andreas Rabl: “Our video surveillance system works, the numbers prove that. Safety must always come first. In the future, cities and municipalities should be able to decide independently about installing surveillance cameras in public places in order to be able to take preventive action.”
Security Officer Deputy Mayor Gerhard Kroiß: “With the help of the video data, the police have succeeded several times in catching criminals. Potential criminals in Wels should think twice before committing a crime because they are quickly identified. The preventative effect of surveillance cameras is enormous, which is why I advocate for more autonomy where we as a city want to install the cameras in the future.”
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