Cologne's New Campaign Rejects Surveillance for Community-Led Safety
A new campaign in Cologne is pushing back against the city's growing reliance on surveillance and policing. Called Safety for All, it argues that real security comes from meeting basic needs—not more cameras or police patrols. The initiative highlights how migrant and working-class areas, like Kalk, are often unfairly labelled as crime hotspots.
Cologne has expanded its network of surveillance cameras, with around 220 fixed units now in place. The city's Master Plan for Municipal Security targets districts such as Kalk and Ehrenfeld, where migrant communities and homeless people face increased scrutiny. Meanwhile, North Rhine-Westphalia's police use Palantir's Gotham software to cross-reference data across databases, raising concerns about AI-powered facial recognition.
Activists behind *Safety for All* reject the idea that more cameras or policing create safer neighbourhoods. They point to the 2020 racist attack in Hanau, where victims' calls for help were ignored, as proof that surveillance fails to protect those in danger. Instead, the campaign redefines safety as access to housing, food, and healthcare—regardless of immigration status. Local projects like *Kalk Solidarisch* and the *Toni neighbourhood centre* show how community-led efforts build trust and address real needs. These initiatives focus on mutual support rather than criminalising marginalised groups. The campaign now plans to test its approach in Kalk, where residents already face stigma from officials.
The Safety for All campaign challenges Cologne's focus on policing and surveillance. It calls for policies that tackle poverty and discrimination instead of monitoring vulnerable communities. The outcome could reshape how the city defines—and achieves—public safety.
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