Some weeks ago it was reported that the governing council for the Cathedral had installed nine security cameras. In light of this week's reports of anti-tourist graffiti in the area, the matter might be said to have assumed rather more significance. The council has made a request to the national government delegation to the Balearics for the cameras to be activated, and the delegation in turn has notified the Data Protection Agency. (In order to be able to train cameras on the public way, there is a two-stage procedure for getting permission, which is what the Cathedral's council is following.)
It is hoped that the mere operation of these cameras will act as a deterrent to anyone planning on daubing graffiti or engaging in other acts of vandalism. The town hall, meanwhile, doesn't have any such cameras in Palma's old town district. Sources from the government delegation, which has responsibility for Balearic security issues and so for giving permission for cameras (subject to data protection confirmation), say that the delegation has only received municipal requests in recent years for Playa de Palma.
Two years ago, when there were protests against graffiti at Es Baluard, the local police detained two graffiti artists and stressed the need for cameras to be installed in emblematic parts of the city. However, there was no political response to this call either by the then ruling Partido Popular administration or the opposition.