Stefan Evers urges expansion of AI police video surveillance in Berlin

Proposal for expanded surveillance

The Christian Democratic Union lead candidate for the Berlin state election scheduled for 20 September 2026, Stefan Evers, has demanded a broader rollout of video surveillance across the capital. Evers, who currently serves as Berlin Senator for Finance and Culture, argued that the city needs to expand the legal basis for deploying automated camera systems. Current regulations introduced under the governing coalition of the CDU and the Social Democratic Party permit the use of artificial intelligence in video monitoring only at designated high-crime locations. Evers stated in an interview with the Deutsche Presse-Agentur that the authorities must move beyond restricting the technology to officially designated hotspots. He noted that broadening these powers is necessary to make public spaces throughout the city noticeably safer for residents.

This approach is exactly the right one, and we need much more of it, because that can make Berlin significantly safer.

Preventive role of artificial intelligence

Evers emphasized a functional distinction between conventional camera systems and systems augmented by artificial intelligence. In his view, traditional video monitoring served primarily to secure evidence for retrospective investigations following an offense, alongside offering a partial deterrent effect. By contrast, automated camera software processes visual footage to identify conspicuous behavioral patterns among individuals in real time. This automated detection allows the system to alert police officers to potential hazards before offenses occur on the street. Evers stated that such early warnings enable active crime prevention rather than passive post-incident recording.

Modern technology allows the police to recognize dangerous situations at an early stage and draw officers' attention to them, before criminal offenses even happen.

Protection for threatened urban locations

To apply the technology more broadly, Evers proposed that demonstrated risk assessments should serve as the legal trigger for camera deployment instead of formal crime statistics alone. As a specific example, he pointed to the Regenbogenkiez neighbourhood in Berlin. Evers noted that several locations in the area, including an Israeli restaurant and queer bars, have faced repeated threats and attacks. Under current legal restrictions, authorities cannot install AI-assisted video monitoring in these spots because the areas do not meet the statutory threshold for high-crime locations. Evers argued that expanding the legal parameters would allow security services to protect vulnerable groups directly in these environments.

I want everyone to feel safe everywhere in Berlin. And that is why, for me, the use of this technology is part of that.

Data protection debate and pilot testing

The debate over camera surveillance in Berlin continues to involve arguments surrounding civil liberties and personal data privacy. Critics of expanded public monitoring frequently cite privacy regulations and data protection laws as primary objections to increasing camera coverage on public streets. Evers addressed these concerns by stating that the government must not block effective security measures while residents report feeling unsafe in certain districts. He mentioned that women, Jewish individuals, and queer residents frequently convey safety concerns directly to him. The proposal coincides with an ongoing police pilot project at Kottbusser Tor, where security services are testing new AI-driven camera systems to identify suspicious activities in public spaces.