Cross-border Cooperation for Safety and Effectiveness of Public Services

The project aims to ensure efficient and high-quality public services in Šiauliai and Dobele by expanding the network of video surveillance cameras and establishing a city coordination center in Dobele. During the implementation of the project, regular partnership meetings will be organised, project activities will be coordinated, experience will be exchanged, and inter-institutional cooperation within the cross-border region will be strengthened. The city of Dobele will take over the positive experience of Šiauliai city for identifying and grouping the city problems, finding their solution, organizing the work of the city coordination center and establishing the Dobele city coordination center, organizing trainings for employees. A short number will also be configured in Dobele to provide information on the city problems. During the project implementation period, 15 new stationary cameras will be installed in public spaces in both cities, 15 stationary cameras with state number scanning function will be installed at entrances of both cities, drone will be purchased in Dobele to monitor difficult-to-reach places, 4 portable small video cameras (attachable to clothes) will be purchased to be used during inspections and raids, and 2 mobile video surveillance cameras to monitor problem areas will be introduced in Šiauliai. Both cities will procure the hardware and video analytics’ modules necessary for the efficient operation of the video surveillance network. During the project dissemination activities residents will be informed about coordination centers operating in both cities, short numbers of these centers will be promoted. The direct benefit of the project will be experienced by the residents of both project partners’ cities, as their safety will be ensured more effectively and it will be possible for the residents to report problems in the cities more easily.

Projekta mērķis paredz nodrošināt efektīvus un kvalitatīvus sabiedriskos pakalpojumus Šauļos un Dobelē, paplašinot video novērošanas tīklu un izveidojot Koordinācijas centru Dobeles pilsētā. Projekta laikā tiks organizētas regulāras partneru tikšanās, koordinētas projekta aktivitātes, organizēti pieredzes apmaiņas un stiprināta starpinstitucionālā pārrobežu sadarbība reģionos. Labās prakses ietvaros Dobeles novada pašvaldība pārņems Šauļu pašvaldības pozitīvo pieredzi pilsētas problēmas identificēšanā un to grupēšanā, efektīvu risinājumu meklēšanā, Koordinācijas centra darba organizēšanā, kā arī  darbinieku apmācību organizēšanā. Dobeles Koordinācijas centrā tiks izveidots īsais tālruņa numurs iedzīvotāju problemātisko jautājumu risināšanai. Projekta īstenošanas laikā abu pašvaldību publiskajās ārtelpās tiks uzstādītas 15 jaunas stacionāras videonovērošanas kameras un 15 stacionārām kamerām tiks instalētas autotransporta numuru zīmes nolasīšanas funkcijas, Dobeles pašvaldība  iegādāsies vienu dronu – grūti sasniedzamo teritoriju pārraudzībai, četras ķermeņa videonovērošanas mobilās kameras (piestiprināmas pie apģērba) sabiedrisko vietu apsekošanai, Šauļu pašvaldība iegādāsies divas pārvietojamās videonovērošanas kameras problēmvietu pārraudzīšanai. Kā arī abās projektā iesaistītās pašvaldības iegādāsies un instalēs programmaparatūras un video analītiskos moduļus efektīvākais videonovērošanas tīkla darbībai. Projekta īstenotās aktivitātes tiks atspoguļotas abās projekta teritorijās. Koordinācijas centra un īsā tālruņa numura izveidi, videonovērošanas tīkla attīstība tieši ietekmēs pilsētu iedzīvotāju drošību un veicinās efektīvāku problēmvietu apzināšanu un risku mazināšanu.

Projektas siekia užtikrinti efektyvias ir kokybiškas viešąsias paslaugas Šiauliuose ir Dobelėje praplečiant miestų vaizdo stebėjimo kamerų tinklą ir įsteigiant miesto koordinavimo centrą Dobelėje. Projekto įgyvendinimo metu vyks reguliarūs partnerių susitikimai, bus derinamos projekto veiklos, keičiamasi patirtimi, stiprinamas tarpinstitucinis bendradarbiavimas pasienio regione. Dobelės miestas perims teigiamą Šiaulių miesto patirtį identifikuojant ir grupuojant miesto problemas, ieškant jų sprendimo, organizuojant miesto koordinavimo centro darbą ir įkurs Dobelės miesto koordinavimo centrą, organizuos mokymus darbuotojams. Dobelėje taip pat bus sukonfigūruotas trumpasis numeris, kuriuo bus galima informuoti apie miesto problemas. Projekto metu abiejuose miestuose viešosiose erdvėse bus įrengta 15 naujų stacionarių kamerų, o miestų įvažiavimus bus pradėta stebėti 15 stacionarių kamerų su valstybinių numerių nuskaitymo funkcija, Dobelėje bus įsigyta bepilotė skraidyklė sunkiai pasiekiamų vietų stebėjimui, 4 nešiojamos mažos prie rūbų tvirtinamos vaizdo kameros, kurios bus naudojamos patikrų ir reidų metu, o Šiauliuose - 2 kilnojamos vaizdo stebėjimo kameros probleminių vietų stebėjimui. Abu miestai įsigys techninę įrangą ir vaizdo analitikos modulius, būtinus efektyviam vaizdo stebėjimo tinklo darbui. Viešinant projektą gyventojai bus informuoti apie abiejuose miestuose veikiančius koordinavimo centrus, populiarinami šių centrų trumpieji numeriai. Tiesioginę projekto naudą patirs abiejų projekto partnerių miestų gyventojai, kadangi bus efektyviau užtikrinamas jų saugumas, bus sudarytos sąlygos gyventojams paprasčiau pranešti apie problemas miestuose.

The Project achievements: Overall objective of the project “SmartCity” was to improve the quality of living in Siauliai and Dobele, to develop efficiency of providing and administering public services thus strengthening capacities and cooperation between institutions by raising capacities of Siauliai City Municipality Administration (further – SCMA) and Dobele Municipality (further – Dobele) thus promoting administrative cooperation in areas such as combating crime, improvement of civil security, enhancing cooperation between citizens and institutions, including capacity raising in SCMA and Dobele for the improvement of public services. The project produced a vast scope of tangible as well as intangible results therefore providing an impressive effect on the main project target group – communities of both cities. Cross-border cooperation in providing administrative services for citizens under the given project offered numerous benefits when it came to ensuring safety and security: enhanced security – cross-border cooperation between SCMA and Dobele enabled partners to share information, intelligence and know how to combat security threats effectively. This included joint best case exchange visits, effective discussions and experience share (as intangible achievement) as well as physically expanded video surveillance networks on both sides of the border with 30 new stationary video surveillance devices, 2 portable video surveillance cameras, drone, 4 body cameras (as tangible achievement); faster response times – mutually discussed and realised ideas in SCMA and Dobele assures quick and more effective reaction to dangerous situations through implanted IT solutions and purchased equipment (such as analytics, single dispatcher line, modules and video wall, control panel, public loudspeakers, police radio); resource optimisation – valuable shared experiences between project partners led to the development of the concept document in Dobele and trainings under it therefore the know-how pursued by the lead partner for the establishment of the City Coordination Centre in previous projects under the Interreg V-A Latvia – Lithuania Programme 2014-2020 significantly added-up to the planning and thus optimising resources upon establishment of a brand-new section for city safety and security in Dobele; information sharing – the established connections between staff of both project partners as well as with staff members of city coordination divisions in Ventspils, Salaspils, Kuldiga that were visited during the best-case exchange events are continued as many joint points of interest were found: staff continues cooperation and information exchange on the issue of the city safety and security even after the project lifespan; relations between decision-making bodies – the implemented project aided a lot to the establishment of better city-to-city relations on a decision-making level by inviting and including decision making persons into joint meetings. Building of trust and cooperation-based relations in the cross-border region led to indirect, but positive effects on overall safety and security. Mutual discussions on the highest decision-making level led to preparation of further joint projects between SCMA and Dobele; capacity building – in general, the project activities involved and constantly led to capacity-building on both sides of the border on all levels of staff who were directly or indirectly involved because of learning from each other’s practices and possibilities to develop skills and knowledge needed to address the city safety and security issues effectively.

The project shall result in strengthened institutional capacities of both project partners as well as in increased efficiency of public services provided for residents though modernisation of equipment by introducing new video surveillance devices (stationary and portable), drone, body cameras, video recording/ observing and control devices. Safety of residents in both partner cities will be increased. The project shall directly lead to improved quality of living in Siauliai and Dobele and therefore is directly contributing to the Programme Priority Specific Objective of improving efficiency of public services therefore strengthening capacities and cooperation between institutions by raising capacities of SCMA and Dobele by promoting administrative cooperation in areas such as combating crime, improvement of civil security, enhancing cooperation between citizens and institutions, including capacity raising in SCMA and Dobele for improvement of public services.