Belgrade’s Safety Should Not Depend on Private Security Companies

This summer, Belgrade came close to launching one of Serbia's most ambitious experiments in public-private urban security. A proposed public-private partnership would have established an integrated security system with some 2,200 personnel, mobile and foot patrols, security command centres, local security stations, an information system for collecting and analysing data and intelligent video analytics. A private partner would have operated the system, with the city expected to pay nearly 700 million euros over ten years. The proposal was withdrawn from the City Assembly agenda in July because the competent Public-Private Partnership Commission had not given its opinion. The project was, therefore, put on hold for procedural reasons – not because the city authorities concluded that such a system was unnecessary. That leaves one question that should have come first: what security problem is Belgrade trying to solve? Subscribe to Balkan Insight Premium to read the full article. Please login to your account below if you are already a Premium Subscriber. Buy Premium Subscription Our Premium Service gives you full access to all content published on BalkanInsight.com, including analyses, investigations, comments, interviews and more. Choose your subscription today and get unparalleled in-depth coverage of the Southern and Eastern Europe. Buy Premium Subscription If you have trouble logging in or any other questions regarding you account, please contact us