Luxembourg City is aiming to step up its camera surveillance, with the municipal council having already made a preliminary decision to move forward. Mayor Lydie Polfer has submitted an official request to Minister for Home Affairs Léon Gloden, seeking approval for cameras to be installed in the city centre. However, the details regarding the number and exact positioning of these cameras remain undecided at this stage.
The final decision regarding where additional cameras will be installed does not rest with the city council but with the police, who must first analyse security needs before any further steps can be taken. Mayor Polfer, representing the Democratic Party (DP), emphasised that law enforcement will conduct an assessment to identify priority locations.
Mayor Polfer acknowledged that cameras are not a silver bullet for public safety but described them as a useful tool for police investigations after an incident. They can help identify both what happened and who was involved. Maurice Bauer, the city’s first deputy mayor from the Christian Social People’s Party (CSV), expressed no doubt about the need for greater surveillance.
Bauer stated that they have already expanded video surveillance in the Gare district, as well as in Bonnevoie due to increased needs, both in terms of police activity and the number of offences being recorded. He emphasises that they aim to provide the police with all the resources they require to carry out their job as effectively as possible.
Mayor Polfer signed the official letter to Minister Gloden on 1 October. The push for CCTV in the city centre also reflects demands from a local WhatsApp group, founded a year and a half ago by businessman Alexandre de Toffol, which advocates for increased security measures in the capital.
De Toffol explained that he started the group mainly to alert the police and to help inform local business owners and residents by posting photos of individuals causing trouble, especially pickpockets, so others know who to look out for, sometimes even catching them in the act.
De Toffol also admitted uncertainty over whether cameras are the ultimate solution, but argued that they would at least support the police in their work. Surveillance footage could help identify those responsible for theft or other issues, while the presence of cameras would likely act as a deterrent, he said.
