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European Forum for Urban Security, September 2026. In this issue: new approaches to local policing - community policing in Ponferrada (Spain) - disaster preparedness and response - e-learning platform on mental health - training young people in Rotterdam against drug trafficking |
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European cities are working together on new approaches to local and community policing |
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How to make local police more efficient? How to bring it closer to citizens? How to better use technology? These are some of the challenges European cities and their local police forces are working on together with Efus |
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Living in a safe city is a priority for EU citizens, a large majority of whom are urban dwellers, and local police are a key actor in keeping cities secure and making citizens feel safe. Local policing takes different forms across the 27 EU Member States, but the main challenges are common. Efus has been working on policing for many years and is currently involved in several European cooperation projects that seek to bring innovation to local policing (KOBAN), professionalise and diversify the workforce (DIVERPOL), and foster the exchange of know-how and practices among local police forces across Europe (EU-POLNET network). Photos: left ©iStock Javier Paredes Perez - right ©iStock: LIVINUS |
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“We are your police”: the quiet revolution of local policing in Ponferrada (Spain) |
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“We are your police.” This is the slogan used by the Ponferrada City Council (Spain) to define the role of its municipal police force. Launched in the late 1990s, this model – based on public participation and prevention – represented, at the time, a cultural revolution in a country still marked by the repressive nature of the police force inherited from the Franco era. This model of policing at the service of citizens remains in force and up to date in this city of 64,000 situated in Castile and León, north-west of Madrid. We met with its chief since 1997, Arturo Pereira Cuadrado. Photos: Ponferrada municipal police |
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Helping communities and public authorities to better prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters |
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Last summer's prolonged and intense heatwaves and widespread wildfires have once again put European local and regional authorities at the forefront of disaster management. This is an issue Efus is working on through several EU-funded projects. One is DARE, |
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which is centred on the response to wildfires. This week, Efus and the DARE project partners are in Matosinhos (Portugal) for a three-day real-life trial on how to better involve and coordinate volunteers. Another project is Synergies: last week, the project partners held three (online) workshops on empowering actors, innovative communication, and volunteer management. Photo ©iStock Pantelis Fykaris |
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Come and join us at Smart City Expo World Congress, in November in Barcelona |
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Efus has partnered with the Smart City Expo World Congress, the world’s most influential event for cities and urban innovation (Barcelona, Spain, 3-5 November). We will notably hold a panel on the AI for Cities project we are currently leading to equip European local authorities with
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the fundamentals of artificial intelligence applied to urban security. >> Efus members can benefit from an exclusive discount on registration! >> For more information, drop us a mail at kaouech@efus.eu and/or robin@efus.eu Photo: Smart City Expo World Congress |
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Free training on mental health for security professionals |
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As part of the Respect to Protect European project on mental health, in which Efus is a partner, you can access the free e-learning platform designed to help Citizen Protection and Security Professionals to respond to mental health crises with respect, empathy and professionalism.
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Practice sheet CoCo project: training young people against being recruited by drug trafficking gangs, Rotterdam, Netherlands |
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Led by the Rotterdam City Council, CoCo is a scheme that trains young people to say no to drug trafficking gangs who try to recruit them as drug 'collectors' at the port, Europe's largest and also main point of entry for drugs shipped from Latin America. |
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Join the conversation live on our Safer Together group |
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We set up Safer Together on LinkedIn to foster knowledge-sharing, professional networking and informed discussions on urban security challenges. We already have more than 300 members: come and join us!
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Save the dates - 29-30 September, Poznań (Poland): meeting of the partners of the Respect to Protect project on mental health
- 30 September, Brussels (Belgium): AI for Cities training for Belgian local authorities
- 7-9 October, Rzeszów (Poland): field visit of the SafeSkills project on recruitment and retention of security professionals
- 26-30 October, Poznań (Poland): capacity building event, Respect to Protect project on mental health
- 28 October, Paris (France): kickoff of the new PRISM European project on drugs
- 4-5 November, Barcelona (Spain): Efus Executive Committee meeting on the occasion of the Smart City Expo World Congress >> Efus members can benefit from an exclusive discount for the congress! For more information, drop us a mail kaouech@efus.eu or robin@efus.eu
- 3-4 November, Brussels (Belgium): final event of the Synergies project during the European Civil Protection Forum
- 19-20 November, Thessaloniki (Greece): General Assembly, KOBAN project on community policing
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