The Pactesur2 project
PACTESUR2 aims at ensuring that the role of local authorities in security is well recognized at all levels including the European one. Thus, the general objective of PACTESUR2 could be expressed through 3 specific objectives:
Objective 1: To improve the protection of public spaces by enhancing the development and implementation of good practices at local level
This objective is especially targeted by the organization of Police Academies and the additional police exchanges during international events and summertime among the 6 partner cities.
Objective 2: To enhance public-private cooperation in the safety field
Each year, PACTEUR2 will organize public private security cooperation workshops that will consist of exchange: between public and private security forces in order to move forward on the topic of public/private security cooperation, between all the partners to discuss the specific national strategies for cooperation of public and private actors of security of public places and of course with citizens.
Enriching the work actually led in France about this private/public security continuum, PACTESUR2 plans to organize local workshops in different cities between private and public security actors as well as citizens to discuss about hot topics such as the ways to guarantee a coordinated use of the various security forces without there being any legal vacuum or duplication, the ways to reduce heterogeneity between private actors, the conditions to consider granting additional powers to the private sector to relieve national and municipal polices.
All the works carried out will result in a set of recommendations dedicated to the cities but also to the European Commission to enhance public-private cooperation regarding the protection of public places.
Objective 3: To raise awareness within public European authorities, city’s private actors and their citizens on the need to improve the protection of our public spaces by working together
The project approach is, on the one hand, to sensitize a large number of European public actors about the importance of working together in trust to better protect our public places and develop our local strategies and, on the other hand, to promote citizens’ awareness of their involvement and their role in securing public spaces as co-producers of security.
project based on four pillars
specialiSed training
The development of specialised training for local security practitioners as well as additional police exchanges during international events and summertime.
awareness-raising
Raising awareness among citizens and politicians on their role on prevention and as security actors. The Efus will be in charge of the main aspects of communication and dissemination of the project towards the European institutions and other networks. As urban security is a global challenge, this communication campaign will also aim to involve cities beyond those from the associated list, reaching municipalities outside the EU, from South and Central America, Senegal, South-Africa and Ivory Coast which have developed strong collaborative ties with the Efus.
innovative toolbox
Identifying the most adapted local investments for securing open public spaces by sharing field experience. This will imply the creation of innovative training tools for police forces and the experimentation of new strategies to improve the security of the oil port of Liège Wandre.
Inprovement of public-private cooperation
Workshops with all the relevant stakeholders, working groups with European experts and work meetings (online and in person) will be organized by the partners in order to complete a set of recommendations dedicated to the cities and the European Commission to enhance public-private cooperation regarding the protection of public places.
Empower cities and local actors
PACTESUR2 aims at empowering cities and local actors in the field of security of urban public spaces facing terrorist threats.
Improving the protection of our public places does not require only theories but practice. All the interest of the studies on this topic is limited by their operability as they may propose solutions that are not easily applicable and far from the reality of the ground. The main asset on the ground remains local police forces and the more urgent need in this field is the central piece necessary for the implementation of any new theory or any new tool: the human resources, which are highly trained police forces, well-integrated and well-functioning in surroundings of mutual understanding.
Taking account of their experiences in delivering policy on the ground, European cities can provide valuable and innovative answers to security challenges and are essential links in the security production chain, hence the importance to ensure transversal communication and support from the EU and the Member States to local initiatives.
Convergent strategies on urban security
Based on a bottom-up approach, PACTESUR2 builds on mutual and transnational learning (cities learning from cities) through exchanges between cities, experts, private companies, citizens and, of course, the European level. PACTESUR2 can rely on the longstanding knowledge of the Efus and ANCI with respect to issues of representativeness and governance of urban security. Moreover, at the beginning of the project, the consortium will launch a call for expression of interest to associate two cities of Eastern Europe as partner cities and ten European cities as follower cities. For choosing these follower cities, the consortium will pay attention to ensure a high representativeness of the European Union. All these elements will ensure high representativeness of all the stakeholders in the project that is a key element for high quality of the results and high visibility of the project.
A well-structured framework to improve cooperation between european cities
In the short-term, PACTESUR2 will improve cooperation between European cities and with local stakeholders. The sharing of ideas and best practices through police academies will improve the skills and knowledge of cities police forces. The works led on public/private cooperation in the field of safety and the concrete implementation on the oil port of Liège Wandre will highlight concrete solutions. In the long-term, these events gathering a huge number of different European local police forces, these exchanges of police officers and all the related events will have a strong impact on the collective perception of European Union.
This symbol of community and solidarity in the field of safety draws the line of new forms of partnerships at the european level
These pictures of police officers from different cities, wearing different local uniforms, stay in mind for a long time as a strong symbol that may have a long-term impact on the perceptions of European citizens. PACTESUR2 aims at triggering change in people’s mind, in the feeling of belonging to a community-minded group, in the perception of the European Union as a strong community sharing the same values in the safety field.