"The citizens of this city have a right to expect the police to use all the tools of the police law to combat crime."
Video surveillance in Dortmund began in 2016 with permanently installed cameras on Brückstraße on the orders of Police President Gregor Lange. This was followed by permanently installed cameras on Münsterstraße in 2021 and in Dietrich Keuning Park in 2023. Video surveillance was limited in time in 2021 at Mehmet-Kubasik Platz and in 2022 on Kampstraße. The mobile video surveillance container is currently located in Dietrich Keuning Park, where it has been supporting permanently installed cameras since mid-2023.
"The short-term surveillance with our mobile camera system, which was introduced some time ago, allows us to react quickly to crime hotspots without a great deal of effort. For example, the temporary deployment at Mehmet-Kubaşık-Platz led to a significant reduction in crime in this area, so that we were able to end the measure there again," continues Gregor Lange.
The legal basis for this police measure is Section 15a of the NRW Police Act. According to this, the police can collect data in the form of video images to prevent criminal offenses by means of open video observation, i.e. video observation that can be viewed by anyone. The order by the Chief Constable is linked to clear basic requirements. Crimes must have been committed repeatedly at these locations in the past and the local structures must be conducive to the commission of crimes. They must be clearly different from other comparable locations. The decisive factor is the prognosis that crimes will also be committed there in the future or that facts justify the assumption that crimes of considerable importance will be planned, prepared or committed there. The forecast for stationary cameras also includes the assumption that the number of crimes will increase again if the cameras are removed. In addition, it must be possible for the police to intervene quickly if crimes are observed by trained police officers.
A review is carried out at regular intervals to check whether the conditions are still met. This targeted concentration of video surveillance on crime hotspots instead of nationwide surveillance in Dortmund enables the forces deployed to combat crime to be bundled in a targeted manner and upholds the principle of proportionality.
Examples of video surveillance operations in 2023
On 10 February, video surveillance was able to be used after a crime was reported. On 10 February, video surveillance was able to record two suspects after a robbery with a firearm at a jewellery store in Münsterstraße and thus provide good indications of the perpetrators' appearance.
On 24 March, officers were able to arrest a suspect after a robbery in Dietrich-Keuning Park.
On 27 May, there was an altercation involving 10-15 people on Brückstraße. One person was seriously injured by a knife thrust. The crime was observed by the cameras and secured as evidence.
On October 29, a 17-year-old victim of a sexual offense in the Dietrich-Keuning-Park area came forward. With the help of video surveillance, emergency services were able to arrest the perpetrator a short time later.
In the period from November 29 to December 5, there were three attempted murders in the vicinity of Dietrich-Keunings-Park. The homicide squad is extensively evaluating the video footage and was able to arrest one of the suspects as a result.
Outlook for 2024
The video surveillance on Brückstraße has been ordered until the end of 2024. The Münsterstraße area will continue until the end of May and in Dietrich-Keuning-Park until the end of June. A comprehensive evaluation and analysis will then decide on the continuation of the measures at the locations. The police will publish this assessment for the Münsterstrasse and Dietrich-Keuning-Park area in the middle of the year and for Brückstrasse at the beginning of 2025.
"The Gelsenkirchen Administrative Court and the Münster Higher Administrative Court have confirmed that our concept on Münsterstrasse is proportionate and lawful. We will therefore continue to use video surveillance with a sense of proportion and not across the board in future," confirms Gregor Lange video surveillance as a tool for the future.