The Vilafranca del Penedès City Council plans to launch a service of night civic agents, known as night watchmen, at the beginning of 2024. This was announced at a press conference by the councilor for Citizen Security, Ramon Zaballa, who stated that the The intention is for the patrol to work “starting in January or February.”
The service will depend on the implementation of an occupation plan subsidized by the Barcelona Provincial Council, with which it is expected to hire between 6 and 8 people. The objective is for the night watchmen to patrol approximately between 10 pm and 6 am to supervise sensitive security areas “and be the eyes and ears of the local Police where the agents do not arrive.”
In addition, Zaballa and the mayor Francisco Romero have announced the imminent incorporation of three Local Police officers to reinforce the workforce. The forecast is that they join the body before the Festival, so that the staff will be made up of a total of 69 agents.
Finally, this Monday, July 10, they have also announced that before the end of 2023 the City Council plans to install the first devices of the video surveillance camera plan announced at the end of 2022. Almost ten months ago, the then government, of Junts and PSC, advanced the deployment of 33 devices in 13 points throughout the city where various conflicts have accumulated in recent times, such as robberies, fights, drug trafficking and criminal occupations.
The forecast was for the first cameras to come into service before this summer, but the processing of various permits has delayed their deployment, which will now be carried out by the socialist executive led by Romero.
However, according to Zaballa and Romero, the first 15 cameras will be installed before the end of 2023. They will be located at the intersection of Calle Espirall with Sant Sadurní, in Rambla Sant Francesc, and in Plazas Doctor Bonet, Pau Casals and Station.
They will be located in groups of three devices, two of which will be fixed and one that will be in motion. The installation of the rest of the devices will be completed later.
