García Sanabria Park, situated in the heart of Santa Cruz, is set to be monitored by twenty permanent video surveillance units starting from next June. This is when the local council intends to implement the new security system, which will be installed around the flower clock and the frog pond within the botanical garden, areas that have experienced various acts of vandalism in recent years.
The Councillor for Public Services, Carlos Tarife, announced to the press yesterday that “we aim to install the cameras within two months, once the service, which was initiated following the approval from the government’s subdelegation for the placement of three surveillance systems, is tendered. These systems will be marked and operational every day of the year to ensure park safety.”
The City Council submitted a request to the Government Subdelegation and the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands in January 2024 for this measure, securing permission for its installation seven months later. The objective is for the twenty cameras to deter individuals from abandoning or releasing certain exotic species into the ponds, as well as from engaging in vandalism within this environment.
The mayor, José Manuel Bermúdez, remarked yesterday that this decision “will enable the Local Police to oversee these areas of the park, ensure public safety, and prevent criminal activities targeting the flower clock and the ponds, where exotic animals are often abandoned, disregarding the environmental risks involved.”
Meanwhile, Tarife pointed out that “we have been enduring uncivil actions that impact the flora and fauna of the park. This highlights the need for cameras that help identify those responsible for these actions.” He also noted that “the ongoing repairs to the flower clock due to vandalism incurs an annual cost of between 3,500 and 5,000 euros, with each restoration varying in expense from 265 to 530 euros, dependent on the time each one takes.”
When recordings capture incidents that could amount to serious or very serious criminal offences, they will be submitted to the judicial authority within a maximum of 72 hours to initiate the sanctioning process. If the recordings are unrelated to any official investigation, they will be disposed of after one month.
