The installation of video surveillance at the entrances and areas adjacent to the Vilamoura Marina was approved in March by the Secretary of State for Internal Administration, the Faro district council said in a statement.

The system will operate uninterruptedly with “the aim of increasing the perception of security, both among residents and workers, as well as people who visit and choose Vilamoura as a holiday destination”, the note reads.

Video surveillance is intended to be an auxiliary and complementary instrument for the security forces, with the National Republican Guard (GNR) being responsible for monitoring and processing the images.

The equipment will be handled in a way that guarantees privacy, “the capture and recording of sound will not be permitted”, specifies the local authority.

According to the municipality, the public tender for the installation of the equipment will be launched soon, with an estimated value of 900 thousand euros.

Loulé Council plans to extend the video surveillance system to public spaces in the cities of Quarteira and Almancil, with work currently underway to analyse and verify the locations for its implementation”, concludes the municipality’s note.

Loulé is the fifth municipality in the Algarve to implement video surveillance equipment in public spaces, a system that already operates in Olhão, Portimão, Faro and Albufeira.

Lagos is another Algarve municipality that hopes to soon move forward with the installation of a video surveillance system in several locations in the municipality.

The mayor of Lagos, Hugo Pereira, told Lusa that the process initiated in 2023 “is still awaiting approval” from the Ministry of Internal Administration and the National Data Protection Commission.