Repeated incidents of vandalism in public parks and playgrounds are creating concerns for Nicosia municipalities, which are considering the installation of closed-circuit surveillance systems as a possible solution.
Authorities say damage has been reported mainly in parks located in more isolated areas or places with unrestricted access during night hours.
Cameras planned for high-risk areas
Nicosia Mayor Charalambos Prountzos said several public spaces have already experienced vandalism, including damage to playground equipment, flooring and graffiti on public property.
“Because of this, we have security services in some of our public areas, but due to the high cost they cannot be placed in all 177 parks and 1,052 green spaces managed by the municipality,” he said.
He added that the municipality is currently conducting an impact assessment, in line with personal data protection legislation, before installing surveillance cameras in specific parks where repeated incidents of anti-social behaviour have been recorded.
Calls for wider approach to youth vandalism
Prountzos also stressed the need to understand why some young people express themselves by damaging public property.
Lakatamia Mayor Fotoula Chatzipapa said the latest incident in her municipality occurred at the Dimitris Christofias Park, which had to be temporarily closed so playground equipment could be replaced following vandalism.
She said some individuals unfortunately do not respect municipal property and added that authorities have gathered enough evidence to submit a request to the Personal Data Protection Commissioner for permission to install surveillance cameras.
Data protection rules apply
Personal Data Protection Commissioner Maria Christofidou said the installation of such systems is not unrestricted and requires compliance with specific procedures.
She explained that municipalities must carry out a data protection impact assessment and, where required, consult with the relevant authority before proceeding.
According to Christofidou, video surveillance systems are already operating in public areas and parks in the Municipality of Paphos, while similar requests from other local authorities are currently pending approval.
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