Two surveillance cameras at the accesses to Quatre Pilans and La Femosa have been out of order since December after their batteries were removed for their replacement, in a situation that has reactivated the neighborhood concern in l"Horta de Lleida for security and illegal dumping.
The concern is not limited to these two points. The residents have warned in the latest commissions that five cameras in l"Horta are out of service. From the neighborhood association of l"Horta Sud they maintain that in the area an increase in criminal activity and uncivil behavior is perceived.
"It worries us because we perceive a resurgence of thefts and illegal dumping in the area" - David Poca, president of the neighborhood association of l"Horta Sud de Lleida
The city council denies a generalized increase
In the face of this neighborhood reading, the city council maintains that it has no record of a sustained increase. The deputy mayor for security, Cristina Morón, pointed out that isolated incidents are recorded, but without it being possible to speak of an upward trend.
"there are isolated cases, but we do not confirm a resurgence" - Cristina Morón, deputy mayor for security
Morón also reported an annual decrease in home robberies in the city. That reduction, he pointed out, is attributed to the police pressure deployed in the territory, with shared devices between Mossos d'Esquadra and Guardia Urbana, along with the specific unit that works in l'Horta.
"great police pressure, with joint patrols of Mossos and Urbana, in addition to the specific unit of l"Horta" - Cristina Morón, deputy mayor for security
Eight agents and new cameras planned
The specific unit of l"Horta is made up of 8 local police officers. These officers are present every day in morning, afternoon, and night shifts, within the municipal surveillance device in this area of the term.
Regarding the state of the equipment, the council assures that it carries out continuous monitoring of the video surveillance network.
"We have an updated inventory of the status of the equipment, which allows detecting and managing any incident with the greatest possible speed" - City Council
In parallel, the city council plans to tender this year the installation of 35 new cameras in l'Horta, with the aim of reinforcing control in an area where residents have long been demanding more coverage and a quicker response to incidents.
The prolonged breakdown of several cameras keeps open the neighborhood discomfort, especially in the accesses to Quatre Pilans and La Femosa, while the council defends that the police pressure and the future expansion of the network must serve to sustain the surveillance in l"Horta.