Video surveillance serviced in the old town core: Complete Old Town covered by 140 cameras

The Municipality of Stari Grad financed the introduction of video surveillance in all primary and secondary schools within its territory, at seven entrances/exits of the municipality, the entire Alley of Ambassadors from Baščaršija to Kozija ćuprija, and in the final phase of the project, the video surveillance equipment covering the narrower old town core was serviced. Approximately 140 cameras have been installed at numerous locations in Stari Grad to enhance the security of citizens and their property, and all cameras are connected to the First Police Administration of Stari Grad, where 24-hour surveillance is conducted.

To mark the completion of the equipment servicing project in the core area, the municipal mayor, Mr. Ibrahim Hadžibajrić, the head of the First Police Administration, Safet Šabović, Mirza Hadžiabdić from the Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Sarajevo Canton, and Edin Mahmutović from the DSC Agency, which carried out the work, visited the site today.

The core area is covered by 24 cameras that have been serviced in the previous period, and the system has been upgraded to a top level, given that the video surveillance equipment has numerous analytical functions, the ability to review archives, images, recordings, etc. Footage from the cameras is stored on a server located at the premises of the First Police Administration and is transmitted wirelessly. The First Police Administration oversees the video system, but the installation of the equipment and maintenance of the system were fully financed by the Municipality of Stari Grad to enhance the security of citizens and tourists.

“It is a known fact that municipalities, as local self-government units, are not responsible for education, schools, and security issues. However, we have never looked at the division of responsibilities, but rather at the citizens. All entrances and exits to Stari Grad are covered by state-of-the-art video cameras thanks to us, which has greatly facilitated the work of the police. Also, all primary and secondary schools in Stari Grad are covered by video surveillance, both indoors and outdoors. We have renovated and serviced all the equipment in the core area, and all of this clearly shows how much we care about the safety of our citizens, because in addition to purchasing and installing cameras, we also regularly finance the maintenance of the system,” stated the municipal mayor, Mr. Hadžibajrić. He added that the best example of the system's efficiency is that the police recently managed to find the perpetrators of a jewelry store robbery in Baščaršija in just a few hours.

Improving the operational work of the police

The head of the First Police Administration, Safet Šabović, expressed his gratitude and satisfaction with the excellent cooperation between this local community and the police. “Mayor Hadžibajrić used his authority and directed municipal funds to cover the core of the old town with video surveillance, thereby greatly facilitating and improving the work of the First Police Administration. My job is to lead the First Police Administration, I am responsible for the security situation in the area of the Municipality of Stari Grad, and Mayor Hadžibajrić leads the entire local community, and we have the same goal, which is for citizens to feel as comfortable and safe as possible. Thanks to these cameras, the police can cover a large area with fewer officers and achieve good results,” stated Šabović.

The Government of Sarajevo Canton has adopted an action plan that includes the procurement and installation of new video surveillance systems in the Sarajevo Canton. “The expansion of the video surveillance system contributes to the reduction of crime, i.e., it contributes to the faster resolution of committed criminal offenses,” stated Mirza Hadžiabdić from the Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Sarajevo Canton.

The work on installing and servicing the equipment was carried out by the DSC d.o.o. Sarajevo Agency for the Protection of People and Property, whose mission is to improve and enhance the daily quality of life for citizens and the community. “It was our pleasure to provide our services to the citizens in the oldest municipality, the Municipality of Stari Grad. Highly sophisticated cameras have been installed, which will certainly enhance the security of people and property,” stated the agency representative, Edin Mahmutović.

The goal is to improve the operational work of the police through the video surveillance system, as well as to act preventively on those inclined to illegal activities, with the message that such activities will not go unnoticed. The project for the establishment and servicing of video surveillance was implemented by the municipal Service for Local Development and Local Community Affairs, and all project locations were previously defined in accordance with the priorities from the Action Plan for the implementation of the strategy of the Police Administration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Sarajevo Canton (2018-2021).