This program consisted of installing a video surveillance system implemented in some areas of the city of Montevideo, starting in March 2013.
The system’s operational actions included:
1) Continuous monitoring of the cameras, carried out by police officers located in a monitoring center, which combines video surveillance technology with a police patrol response action;
2) Direct communication and coordination from the surveillance center with a mobile patrol that monitors the area and, upon observing a crime, immediately heads to the affected area;
3) In case of suspicious movements, the monitoring center can follow the person using cameras that are capable of zooming and rotating 360 degrees, before deciding whether or not to contact the mobile patrol in the area.
The average response to a communication regarding a crime is 5 minutes. When the police arrives in time to arrest the offender, the video recording becomes part of the evidentiary material.