Barcelona plans to expand its video surveillance network, bringing the municipal public-space system to 660 cameras by 2027, roughly four times the number then operating. The city plans to install 134 new cameras during 2026, including 14 at Plaça Catalunya in the first quarter, information from a report by Jordi Palmer in El Nacional. The expansion targets areas with high visitor numbers and places flagged for criminal activity or potential security threats. New sites include the Carmel bunkers, the Anella Olímpica and Pegaso Park, where a teenager was killed in a shooting earlier this July.
The city’s security chief, Albert Batlle, outlined the next phases of the rollout after receiving the necessary authorizations. The installations will include nine cameras on Passeig del Born, eleven at the Carmel bunkers, thirty at the Anella Olímpica and nineteen in Pegaso Park. Another thirty will be split between Fira de Bellcaire and Fort Pienc. Batlle said the request to install cameras in Pegaso Park predated the recent fatal shooting, citing ongoing police reports of criminal incidents in the area.
The deployment is part of a broader policing response to public-safety concerns, not a standalone technology project. Ara reported that the Mossos d’Esquadra were investigating deadly shootings in La Pegaso and L’Hospitalet while preparing a response to youth gangs’ access to firearms. The report also said Barcelona’s police had maintained their own plan for months.
Further approvals have been secured from the Catalan Commission for the Control of Video Surveillance Devices to install cameras at additional locations. These include Guineueta Park, Plaça Àngel Pestaña, Plaça Roja in Nou Barris and Plaça Universitat in Eixample. The projects are awaiting final clearance from the regional security administration, with installation expected before 2027.
The new deployments build on the first phase of the city’s surveillance plan. Since last October, 26 cameras have been activated in Plaça Catalunya and the Front Marítim. Six more are being installed on Avinguda de la Catedral, and work has begun to add 20 cameras to Plaça Reial. City Hall will also receive a full upgrade of its surveillance system, replacing 30 existing cameras. Another 21 devices are planned for Rambla del Raval, with civil works scheduled for September. Barcelona currently operates 186 active cameras across public spaces.
Officials say the new cameras will not use facial recognition or artificial intelligence-based identification. Batlle responded to criticism by noting that surveillance will cover just over 5% of the city’s public space. He said officials choose locations based on crime analysis, vulnerability, serious public-order issues and the risk of terrorist targeting. The system is intended to deter crime and help investigators by providing evidence when serious incidents occur.
All public camera installations require authorization from the Generalitat and must comply with the principles of necessity, proportionality and minimal intrusion into privacy. The expansion is part of a broader security strategy. It includes increasing the Guardia Urbana’s presence and a visibility plan to put more police on the streets, alongside a special office to tackle repeat offenders. The strategy also includes the Druida Plan against public drug use and trafficking, as well as a new ordinance on public order.
Barcelona’s approach to surveillance remains more restrained than that of other European cities: Madrid operates over a thousand cameras, while Nice reportedly uses 3,500. The city’s focus on targeted, authorized deployments reflects ongoing debates about privacy and security in urban environments. Recent large-scale public events in Spain, including the total solar eclipse, have also prompted authorities to review emergency and safety measures, as coverage of the eclipse’s impact on travel and public order reported.
Spain’s legal structure requires any expansion of public surveillance to be justified by clear security needs and subject to oversight. The city’s gradual rollout focuses on high-risk areas as it seeks to balance public safety with civil liberties. As the 2027 target approaches, Barcelona’s developing security infrastructure is likely to remain a point of public and political discussion.
