Technological support
Ensuring the security of all Brussels residents and visitors to the Region is one of safe.brussels' key missions.
How do we do it?
By uniting and supporting prevention, safety, and crisis management stakeholders through high-performance technological tools and the centralised management of video protection systems.
In accordance with the Ordinance of 28 May 2015, safe.brussels is the public body responsible for coordinating regional prevention and security policies. Within this framework, we develop and manage a number of technological support systems designed to assist municipalities, police districts, regional services and institutional partners.
Our technological tools
The Brussels Regional Crisis Centre
The Brussels Regional Crisis Centre (RCCR), managed by safe.brussels, plays a key role during emergencies and major events. It enables effective communication between the different security services (police, emergency services, local authorities, etc.) and facilitates coordinated crisis management. Today, the RCCR is a regional benchmark for operational coordination.
The Brussels Video Protection Platform (VPRB)
Created following the attacks of 22 March 2016, the Brussels Video Protection Platform (VPRB) is a tool shared between several public players: police districts, municipalities, and regional and federal services. It enables the sharing of images from surveillance cameras in the Brussels-Capital Region.
Safe.brussels acts as the technical manager and processor for this platform:
- we host and secure image flows
- we guarantee they are available to authorised partners
- and we ensure compliance with legal standards (GDPR, Camera Act, etc.).
In the event of a crisis or emergency, safe.brussels may exceptionally become responsible for image processing, to facilitate event coordination and management by the RCCR. Such a situation is exceptional and safe.brussels never uses images for its own purposes.
Drones to improve civil security
Safe.brussels also provides drones for police districts through the Coordinating Director of the Federal Police (Dirco). These devices are used for demonstrations, search operations or targeted surveillance, and provide technological support to law enforcement agencies.
Captured images are integrated into the VPRB platform for secure, centralised management. Safe.brussels also provides pilot training in collaboration with the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), particularly in photogrammetry and thermography.
Temporary fixed cameras
To meet the occasional needs of our partners, safe.brussels provides temporary fixed cameras for:
- police districts
- municipalities
- Brussels Mobility, Brussels Environment and Bruxelles Propreté
These devices are used to monitor hotspots, prevent anti-social behaviour and combat illegal dumping. Within this framework, the partners are responsible for image processing, while safe.brussels acts as a processor, guaranteeing the technical compliance and security of the installations.
ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras
ANPR cameras enable the automated reading of licence plates. They are used in the Brussels Region for two main purposes:
- Security and police checks
Police districts use ANPR data for administrative and judicial police missions (speed checks, investigations, searches, etc.). Low Emission Zone (LEZ) checks
ANPR LEZ cameras are used to check compliance with the low-emission zone introduced in Brussels. Brussels Taxation is responsible for processing these images. Further information: https://lez.brussels/mytax/en/privacy
Since June 2024, paradigm.brussels has been responsible for the technical management of the ANPR platform, with operational support from Irisnet.Safe.brussels retains a processor role, guaranteeing the connection of ANPR image flows to the regional video protection platform (VPRB).
Understanding the role of safe.brussels: controller or processor?
Managing video protection images involves two important concepts:
- controller: determines the purposes and means of data processing (e.g. police districts, municipalities, Brussels Taxation)
- processor: processes data on behalf of a controller (e.g. safe.brussels, in most cases)
Safe.brussels therefore acts mainly as a processor, providing technical management, security and system compliance without determining the purposes for which the images are used. We only become a controller in the event of a crisis, when the coordination of operations requires it.
Your rights as a citizen
Cameras in Brussels may sometimes record images in which you appear. Personal data is processed when a person is identifiable. As such, your rights are protected by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Camera Act and, where applicable, police data legislation.
Who is responsible for these rights?
Each camera system has its own controller. It is this controller - and not safe.brussels - who decides on the purposes of video surveillance and is legally bound to respond to your requests (access, information, deletion, etc.).
Practically speaking, this means that:
- if you want to exercise your rights, you must contact the controller concerned (e.g. your municipality, a police district, Brussels Taxation, etc.),
- or its Data Protection Officer (DPO), whose contact details are usually published on the organisation's website.
On our website, for each type of camera or use, we specify which organisation is responsible for processing, so that we can direct you to the right contact.
The role of safe.brussels in exercising your rights
In this context, safe.brussels acts as a processor within the meaning of the GDPR; this means we provide and operate a technical platform that enables the competent authorities (police districts, municipalities, regional administrations, etc.) to view and use images as part of their missions.
This implies, in particular, that:
- safe.brussels does not use images for its own purposes and does not decide on the objectives of video surveillance;
- safe.brussels is not your direct point of contact for exercising your rights (this is the responsibility of the controller);
- however, safe.brussels is obliged to provide practical support to controllers in responding to your requests:
- by guaranteeing the security and traceability of access to images,
- by providing the necessary technical elements (consultation logs, image extractions, storage information, etc.),
- by strictly complying with the documented instructions of controllers.
So that we are clear about what's on this page, let's define a few key concepts:
Emergency calls
Follow us!