Neighbors and merchants of Iquique’s historic district install 500 surveillance cameras to tighten security in the sector

Leaders of nine neighborhood councils that make up the Regional Federation of Communal Unions were joined at the organization’s headquarters by the Regional Governor of Tarapacá, José Miguel Carvajal, to inaugurate the project “Together for More Safety in Iquique’s Historic District.” The project aims to tighten security in the city’s historic district by installing a network of 500 surveillance cameras.

The initiative was carried out by the Factor de Cambio Foundation, supported by SQM, backed by the regional government and developed by community leaders. It will not only enhance control of social activities in downtown Iquique, but will also provide a new impetus to economic activity, benefiting close to 8,000 neighbors and merchants.

The Governor of Tarapacá, José Miguel Carvajal, said that this project, which addresses the security agenda, involved an investment of more than $100 million in Iquique’s old quarter and will help prevent and address crime through collaboration between public institutions and civil society.

“For us this initiative is a regional challenge that garners commitment from police institutions, public institutions and civil society to face this complex situation of insecurity that we are experiencing. We are happy to promote this public-private collaboration since by working together we have a better chance of successfully solving these problems.”

The president of the Regional Federation of Communal Unions of Tarapacá, Hugo Marín, highlighted the project’s citizen participation and explained that the cameras will be installed on neighbors’ houses and in high locations on corner houses, specifically on 13 corners in each sector, to record movements on 4 different streets and provide evidence when a crime is committed to help with the police investigation.

“This is something we have been wanting for a long time. Iquique has been a black spot in terms of security and this encouraged us to talk with leaders in order to develop an ambitious project that could respond to what was happening and collaborate with authorities, allowing us to provide a little peace of mind to the city’s neighbors,” explained Hugo Marín.

Local commerce and community

In addition to tightening security, this initiative seeks to promote local commerce, which has been adversely affected by crime. Héctor Anabalón, executive director of the Factor de Cambio Foundation, the agency executing the project, said that “security has become a key factor in making a business district sustainable and attractive to visitors. Poor security makes it difficult for businesses to develop. Therefore, supporting this type of initiative, which improves neighborhood conditions, helps generate a better business environment for optimal economic development.”

Meanwhile, Carolina Guzmán, Head of Community Relations at SQM, explained that the most important element for the project to work is collaboration, highlighting the governor’s commitment, the neighborhood councils’ coordination, the company’s tools and the foundation’s execution. “We know that security is important for people’s quality of life and for businesses to develop properly. That is why at SQM we collaborate with this type of project, because we are committed to the Tarapacá Region and because we are interested in giving people a better quality of life.

Neighbors

Elizabeth Castillo, leader of the “Grumete Bolados” Neighborhood Council, said that the area where she lives is very vulnerable. Robberies, assaults, home invasions, threats to merchants are some of the unpleasant situations they experience. “I think these cameras are marvelous. The security system will help to verify who is committing the crimes in the area,” she said.

Betty Terrazas, a neighbor on Baquedano Street, said that people used to leave their house and car doors unlocked but now that is impossible. “Sometimes I go to a store to buy something and I’m scared because I feel that I could be assaulted at any time.” For Terrazas, the surveillance cameras are an excellent measure and very important to be able to protect themselves and identify criminals.

Finally, Governor José Carvajal announced that work will be done on a second project to give the community an additional 500 cameras to provide neighbors tools for prevention, investigation and collaboration in security work.