Paphos is launching a coordinated effort to install surveillance cameras in public spaces to deter vandalism, protect public property and make residents feel safer.

The decision was taken at a meeting on Thursday attended by district mayors and representatives of municipalities, communities and the district self-government organisation (EOA).

Paphos acting mayor Angelos Onisiforou said the municipality had taken the initiative to coordinate the effort and would send a letter to data protection commissioner Maria Christofidou, while also proceeding with the necessary steps for its implementation.

On Monday, Christofidou said municipalities were allowed to install security cameras in public spaces for safety and security purposes. Before doing so, however, they are required under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to carry out a data protection impact assessment and submit it to the data protection authority.

Onisiforou said the Paphos initiative was aimed at protecting parks and public buildings and preventing vandalism and delinquent behaviour following a series of recent incidents across the district.

“Our aim is for the citizens to feel safe,” Onisiforou stressed.

All Paphos municipalities were in agreement to push the initiative forward, he said.

Onisiforou said the municipality of Paphos had already installed 55 cameras on smart poles in the city with footage in many cases being utilised by the police.

“In this way we are creating policing throughout the city,” Onisiforou said.

Papachristofi backed the installation of cameras to deter crime, including burglaries, theft and drug use, and supported the principle of “the more cameras, the better”, arguing that greater surveillance could also ease pressure on police.

Technology, he said, complemented wider efforts to improve security.

Yeroskipou deputy mayor Andreas Shikkis said there were around 940,000 cameras in London and as many as six million across the UK, claiming their use had helped cut crime by half.

“Cameras are the best policeman,” he said.