will share their results and findings at the project's final conference, on 25 and 26 June in Liège (Belgium). Close to 30 speakers representing the project's partner cities – Liège (Belgium), Nice (France), Riga (Latvia) Rotterdam (Netherlands), Stuttgart (Germany) and Turin (Italy) – as well as representatives from the European Commission, academics and other urban security actors will exchange on the issues that were explored through the project and the tools developed by the partners. How to use social innovation to improve security? How to better protect public spaces? How to involve citizens? Check the preliminary programme. 

>> The IcARUS conference will be held right after Efus' General Assembly meeting, on 25 June in Liège, our president city. We hope we join us there! 

2024 Security, Democracy and Cities conference: the main takeaways available online

The Mayors of Antwerp, Hamburg and Rotterdam call for an Alliance of European ports against drugs 

In a letter to their respective chiefs of government and ministers for home affairs, the mayors of Antwerp (Belgium), Hamburg (Germany) and Rotterdam (Netherlands) call for national states and European authorities to double down in their efforts to counter drug trafficking. They say that, "the huge amounts of criminal money in our ports, streets and urban communities are nothing short of disastrous" for urban security and social cohesion. They share their conclusions from their recent visit to several Latin American producing countries, and call for an Alliance of European ports against drugs.  

>> Read the report on the session on drug trafficking 

A new European local police network 

Efus and its partners set up a new network of European local police forces with the aim of voicing their concerns at the European level. The objectives of this network, which is titled EU-Polnet, are to:

• promote the role and doctrines of European local police forces at a European and international level 
• organise training sessions and exchanges among local police staff from various European countries 
• exchange inspiring practices among European local police forces 
• foster a partnership approach between local police and local crime prevention services 

European Parliament elections: let's vote! 

Efus has joined the #Parlement2024 campaign calling citizens to vote for the European elections of 6-9 June. A lot is at stake in these elections and we're calling our members to promote the campaign on their social media. 

European projects 

aim of preventing and countering polarisation and radicalisation, and more broadly crime, in particular among young people. This activity was conducted as part of a pilot led by Efus. The partners also visited several crime prevention schemes put in place by the Mechelen City Council. 

feedback from local civil protection authorities, including the fire brigade, who tested the platform developed through the project to reduce gaps between civil protection and citizens in case of power outage. In May, Efus took part in an experience feedback meeting in Setubal (Portugal), where the RiskPACC platform was tested in a scenario of industrial accident. Three more feedback meetings will be held before the summer in Kalamaria (Greece), Gdansk (Poland) and Karlsruhe (Germany). 

🧐 Would you have five minutes for our questionnaire? 

Have you ever taken part in an EU-funded project with Efus? What are your priorities in terms of local urban security? What would you expect to gain from participating in an EU-funded project? We would like to hear from you regarding the projects we regularly submit for EU funding. 

👉 We'd be very grateful if you could answer our short survey. 

Join us!

>>> Are you an Efus member? See you on Efus Network, the platform where you can follow your favourite activities and topics and exchange with other members and partners. 

Photos: © Patrick Kedzia