Under a new project, police surveillance in the capital’s Gare district is set to expand significantly.
At present, 130 cameras monitor public areas across Luxembourg City. With this new phase of the Visupol system – a centralized video surveillance system managed by the local police – surveillance will be extended to around 30 more streets in the Gare area, which accounts for 110 additional cameras. The project was first announced by the police a year ago and has since been approved by the municipal council.
Supporters argue the aim is to improve quality of life and public safety. According to councillor Robert Philippart of the Democratic Party (DP), the Gare district includes schools, shops, housing, infrastructure for vulnerable people, and an active prostitution area making it a complex and sensitive zone. He stressed that the rules are strict: only public spaces are filmed, not private property.
Concerns have been raised that increased surveillance in the Gare district could simply displace crime to other neighbourhoods. Philippart said there is no evidence that such displacement would occur, while pointing out the role of other factors, such as free public transport, in mobility patterns.
Opposition parties voiced reservations but largely supported or abstained in the vote. Councillor Gabriel Boisante of the Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party (LSAP) questioned the effectiveness of CCTV in catching offenders in the act, suggesting it has minimal impact on so-called “flagrant” crime but can assist later investigations.
Councillor Tom Weidig of the Alternative Democratic Reform Party (ADR) said his party supported the measure but remained uneasy about the balance between fighting crime and avoiding the creation of a surveillance state.
Representatives from The Left (déi Lénk) and The Greens (déi Gréng) also expressed broader concerns. Tom Wagner of The Left noted that the Gare district had been neglected for decades and argued that revitalisation and community life were equally important for improving safety. Green councillor François Benoy warned against treating video surveillance as a universal solution, noting that previous expansions had not clearly reduced crime figures.
Councillor Bob Biever of the Christian Social People’s Party (CSV) outlined the geographical scope of the expansion, which stretches from the railway station up to Place de Paris and the surrounding streets, including the Boulevard de la Pétrusse area. Further projects are already being considered, including parts of Bonnevoie, he said.
Speakers agreed that CCTV alone will not solve the issue of security and must be part of a broader set of coordinated measures. Other neighbourhoods, such as Dommeldange and Eich, could also be examined in future, as concerns about safety there go beyond mere perception.
