The Secu4All project aims to strengthen the capabilities of local and regional authorities in ensuring the protection of public spaces against potential risks. Funded by the Internal Security Fund of the European Commission and led by the European Forum for Urban Security (Efus), the Secu4All project gathers a consortium of local and regional authorities, research universities, think tanks, as well as a network of private security actors*.

The two-year long project will provide training to local and regional authorities in five areas: 

• methods and tools to assess the vulnerability of local public spaces;
• with relevant stakeholders in case of crisis (before, during and after);
• innovative technologies to reinforce the protection of public spaces and the ethical use of such technologies and the data they help collect;
• reducing of citizens' feelings of insecurity by means of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED);
• of inspiring practices and lessons learned with other local and regional authorities.

A complex challenge for local and regional authorities

Public spaces are places of socialization, culture, commerce, leisure and political expression –centrepieces of urbanity open and inclusive by definition. But public spaces can become hotbeds of delinquency and incivilities and worse - prime targets for terrorist attacks, as has happened throughout Europe over the past decade.

For local and regional authorities managing the local public spaces is one of the most visible actions in the eyes of local citizens: it is where their vision of society is best embodied and enacted. Ensuring that such spaces are inclusive and open, but also safe and secure is a complex challenge for local and regional authorities, who are among the first in line to respond when a crisis occurs.

Cooperating with all local stakeholders

Experience has shown that it is essential for local and regional authorities to cooperate with a broad range of local stakeholders from both the public and private sector in this endeavour: urban planning, first respondents, transport and mobility services, event organisers, local businesses, and, crucially, relevant national and European authorities. 

However, in order to establish this collaboration, local and regional authorities need adequate knowledge and tools. Secu4All addresses this need. The project will develop training content providing local authorities with theoretical and practical knowledge with which they can improve their local prevention actions or programmes to safeguard their public spaces against risks.

* DITSS (Netherlands) Dsp-groep Bv-DSP (Netherlands), KEMEA (Greece), the CRIMINA centre of the Miguel Hernandez University in Elche (Spain), the European Organisation for Security-EOS (Belgium) / Bruxelles - Prévention & Sécurité (Belgium), DEFUS (Germany), FFSU (France), FISU (Italy), The Hague (Netherlands), Riga Municipal Police (Latvia), Xábia (Spain).