Santa Eugenia removes the cameras from the streets to legally reinstall them
Of the approximately 45 cameras that had been installed since 2013, only nine remain, and, as the mayor explained in the plenary session, this has been done so that they can be legally reinstalled.
PalmThe Santa Eugenia Town Council, through a decree issued by Mayor Pep Lluís Urraca, has ordered the removal of all street cameras in the town, which in recent weeks have plunged the Pla de Mallorca village into a "dystopian" atmosphere. Of the approximately 45 cameras installed since 2013, only nine remain. As the mayor explained in the plenary session, this action was taken to allow for their legal reinstallation.
A few weeks ago, when the digital The Daily He explained that the small town of Pla had about fifty cameras installed in parks, streets, and other locations, but media attention focused on Santa Eugenia. "The reality outside of Santa Eugenia is very different," explained the new councilor, Miquel Àngel Coll, who asserted that "we've lived through a dystopia. I think there's 1984, Fahrenheit 451, and the cameras in Santa Eugenia." Earlier, the mayor had acknowledged his share of the blame, admitting that "when we came into office, there were 25 cameras, and we continued installing them using the same system, without checking if it was being done correctly." Urraca explained that once the Government Delegation notified them that the regulations had changed, they began the process in September to regularize their situation. Now, last Friday, given the media attention, a mayoral decree was issued to remove the cameras until all the necessary permits could be obtained and they could be reinstalled. The opposition, the People's Party (PP), demanded the mayor's resignation and indicated that Santa Eugenia could face a fine of around 20 million euros, according to PP spokesperson Pep Bonnín. Urraca explained, and the PP spokesperson agreed, that in all these years, the installation of cameras had only been discussed in a municipal plenary session once, in August 2013, under a PP administration. The mayor also acknowledged that when he took office, he had installed the software that allowed viewing of these cameras on his computer, but that he had it removed. The situation the town has experienced these past few weeks was well explained by both Urraca and Coll, who stated that many residents have expressed their disagreement with the commotion surrounding the removal of the cameras. Until now, these cameras had been very useful to residents and the local police, even for things like lost keys. With the support the people of Santa Eugenia have given to the governing team and their discontent at having these cameras removed, efforts will be made to reinstate them. Finally, it should be noted that last night's plenary session also saw the return of a long-time councilor, Miquel Àngel Coll Canyelles, following the resignation of Socialist councilor Letícia Bonnín. This return to local politics was supported by island and regional leaders of the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party), who also wanted to show their support for the local government team after these days of media turmoil.