In recent years, the bilateral relationship between Medellín and Rio de Janeiro has significantly strengthened. Both cities have collaborated on issues of security, urban development, and technology, which has allowed for the exchange of knowledge and best practices.
A delegation from Rio de Janeiro visited Medellín to learn about projects and experiences of the Mayor’s Office in public security, governance, and risk prevention.
One of the most notable projects was the collaboration between Medellín and the Rio-ITS Institute of Technology and Society in 2022. This prestigious institution investigates the impact of technology on society and participated in a webinar organized by ACI Medellín on opportunities for the city and the region in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
International cooperation between Medellín and Rio de Janeiro has also been reflected in foreign direct investment. Since 2008, 9 investment projects have been managed from Brazil to the territory, with a total investment amount of USD 87.6 million. The infrastructure and logistics sector has been the main recipient of these funds, followed by the technology services sector.
These exchanges and collaborations are an example of both cities’ commitment to sustainable development and peacebuilding. International cooperation allows for the joint strengthening of urbanism, environment, and security policies and programs, benefiting both communities.
The Mayor of Medellin, Daniel Quintero Calle, was awarded this Wednesday, June 14, with the Luxembourg Peace Prize 2023, in the category “Outstanding Public Efforts for Peace”, which recognizes the work of the District Mayor in the struggle for the construction of territorial peace in the city.
This category seeks to recognize a political figure with global coverage in the construction or promotion of peace through a style and model of government. Thus, during his administration, the current mayor of Medellin created the first Secretariat for Nonviolence in Colombia to guide the construction of territorial peace in the district, with the promotion of restorative justice that allows the transformation of conflicts and the protection of life as a fundamental value.
The award was presented by the Schengen Foundation for Peace and the World Peace Forum at the European Convention Center in Luxembourg.
On behalf of Mayor Daniel Quintero, the recognition was received by the Colombian artist Duván López, author of the work “La Silla de la Paz” (The Chair of Peace), a sculpture that is also given to those recognized with the award. This work represents a chair with only three legs, distinguishing the winners as the fourth leg for peace building.
Colombian artist Duván López, author of the work “La Silla de la Paz” (The Chair of Peace).
“When we took office as Mayor of the city, we came with a dream, with a commitment, to transform our city into a place of peace and reconciliation. Medellín has faced enormous challenges and has been recovering throughout these years, however, many of these wounds have remained open. That is why, from the mayor’s office, we firmly believed that we could heal them and build a better future,” said Mayor Daniel Quintero Calle.
These actions for non-violence and the consolidation of territorial peace together with the Articulated Strategy Against Homicide, have consolidated the last three years as the least violent in 40 years and the best results of the decade in clarification and arrest of those responsible for the crime.
“There is still much to do. Peace is not a final destination, but a continuous path that we must travel together, I call on all citizens of Medellin and the world to unite in this purpose. Let us continue working together to build a society based on concord, justice and mutual respect. We cannot allow the wounds of the past to define us and remain forever hurting us. We must learn from them and build a brighter future,” said the district governor.
The ceremony, organized by the Schengen Foundation for Peace and the World Peace Forum, was held at the European Convention Center in Luxembourg. Also honored were global activists, educators, leaders and artists such as Ali Abu Awwad, who has fought for nonviolence in Israel and Palestine; Mariia Levchenko, who has worked for peacebuilding in Ukraine, among other leaders and entities.
Medellín received full support this week in its interest to construct memory, defend human rights and help victims in their quest to know the truth about violence in Comuna 13 (the city’s 13th Disctrict).
For the ACI Medellin, reconciliation, dialogue and peace processes are a priority when it comes to relating with the world to gather good practices and the best allies to promote these initiatives. This is the reason why this week, we visited La Escombrera, a sector in the west part of the city, with international organizations such as the United Nations Development Program – UNDP; Mission to Support the Peace Process in Colombia – MAPP OAS; Spanish Agency for International Cooperation – AECID and the Special Jurisdiction for Peace – JEP. Embassies from the Canadian, German, United Kingdom and Sweden governments were also present.
During the visit, the Secretary of Non-Violence of Medellín explained to the cooperants the road that many families have had to travel in search of justice and reparation.
This space allowed the creation of strategic relationships that give way to international cooperation as a tool that opens opportunities for fact clarification. Likewise, with this tour, the need to have historical memory within our territory is made visible by reconstructing stories.
Context
“La Escombrera” is a site in the Comuna 13 of Medellin, which has been a site of constant reports by relatives of the disappeared and social organizations as a space of clandestine burials of people who had been detained, tortured, executed, and buried in the place, using this debris disposal site for the concealment of the bodies. The relatives of the disappeared have appropriated the site as a place of memory, carrying out many of their symbolic acts to demand truth, justice, and reparation, as well as representing a hope to find the remains of their loved ones. The space of La Escombrera will allow us to think about the relationships between conflict, violence, and the logic of heritage.
When wetalk about security, we should go beyond the capacity of manpower strength, and, in this sense, technology is key for large-scale advancement. What is most important for the city in terms of security, regarding the Fourth Industrial Revolution, is the development of a system allowing for the detection of crimes and the identification of individuals in real time.
The implementation of technology has become key to the advancement in the detection of crime and the identification of individuals in real time. This directly impacts in the reduction of crimes, improves our citizen protection and keeps a city in line with legality.
Today, the city of Medellín has an Integrated Security System (SIESM, for its acronym in Spanish) managed by the Secretariat of Security and Coexistence, which links the Police, the Health Secretariat, the Secretariat of Social Inclusion, the Department of Risks, the Secretariat of Mobility and Firefighters, in what is known as
the 123 emergency line.
In addition, the Secretariat of Security and Coexistence has an information system which takes the collected 123data and, through a database, crosses the information to detect the most critical points in terms of crimes, and makes decisions. For example, in the case of theft, it identifies times and days of the year in which the largest amounts of thefts are committed and implements strategies to prevent them. All this is based on the information permanently provided by the system.
Likewise, through the Integrated Security System, data is registered to be accessible to the District Attorney, Police and Armed Forces, and the Secretariat of Security and Coexistence, for the purpose of building software-based articulation procedures for the unification of tools available to the city: security cameras, license plate identification system and satellite location of vehicles.
Previously, the dispatch system was totally manual. If an incident took place, one had to verify if the police was available, making the process inefficient. Today everything has changed; the city became aware that the installation of technology per se is not an answer, but the good maintenance, adequate use and how to
interconnect them is essential.
«City leaders have understood that security problems need to be faced from the perspective of rebuilding the social fabric in order to mobilize those with lesser opportunities.»
Philip Karp, Lead Knowledge Management Officer, World Bank
The use of drones, cameras and other technologies have enabled crime reduction in the city.
Hexagon, the Intelligent and Efficient System
This system completely changed Medellín’s dynamics. When an incident occurs, it is filtered by the recognition software and communicates it to the closest police station, which enables knowing where these patrols, mobility agents and firefighters
(in case of fire) are located.
In addition, Medellín is the only city in Colombia that has implemented LP technology for the recognition of license plates. It has a system of PTZ cameras which records in HD and are currently at work at 100%, making it possible to know where the criminals are moving, including detaining of stolen vehicles or identifying those involved in a criminal investigation.
Cameras were installed in the most important security points. These have a software which recognizes license plates and saves the information of all moving vehicles within the zone for up to five years. Today, 4.5 million tags go through LPR cameras daily, which also allows for the generation
of intelligence and investigation reports.
This camera system works with Artificial Intelligence (AI). They are arc type tag recognition cameras, which captures and recognizes characters, representing a fundamental change in speed, as well as, the opportunity and accuracy with which the information is gathered. When someone commits a crime and goes through the cameras, a report is created in order to detain, identify and bring the delinquent to justice.
We have an Integrated Security System (SIESM, for its acronym in Spanish) in Medellín. This system links the Police, the Secretariat of Health, the Secretariat of Social Inclusion, the Department of Risks, the Secretariat of Mobility and the Fire Department in what is known as the 123 Emergency Line
We work in alliance with the Police, the District Attorney’s Office, and the Armed Forces so that our citizens are able to live in a safe city.
Medellín is leading in cutting edge technology applied to security with the most advance integrated system in the world.
Technology for a safer city
1,644 cameras —bodycams— are available at 440 Police quadrants to strengthen surveillance in the city, with an investment of COP 9,512 million. Medellín is the first city in Colombia to have this technology applied to security.
300 cameras for license plate recognition – of those involved in criminal acts, with an investment of COP 20,168 million.
2,400 cameras integrating CCTV video for the surveillance of the city, with an increase in coverage of 84%.
148 full 360° cameras with four-lens multi-sensors which allow for complete coverage of the area of a specific sector.
170 video cameras for the detection and identification of visitors of the Atanasio Girardot Stadium.
BELL 407 Public Safety & Utility Police Helicopter enabled with day and night vision, transmitting video to the SIES-M headquarters, megaphone speaker system and searching and tracing light.
COP 26,800 million invested in the Automatic Dispatch System and COP 2,500 million in civil society job opportunities to support the 123 Emergency Line. Twenty-four (24) stations, 60 entrance lines and 49 reception computers for the Avaya telephone system for emergency attention, which enables timely the assistance of citizens.
