Minister Lamallari Says “Smart City” Represents an Epochal Leap for Public Security and Citizen Protection

One of the main elements of the nationwide “Smart City” initiative, the Command and Control Center, was unveiled today. Speaking at the event, which was attended by Prime Minister Edi Rama, Minister of Education Mirela Kumbaro, partners, and invited guests, Minister of Interior Besfort Lamallari emphasized that “Smart City” is more than just a camera project; rather, it is an integrated technological ecosystem that changes how risks are prevented and managed in real time. “The Command and Control Center is being established and operating from today at the heart of a new philosophy and approach of the Albanian Government towards public security.” The “Smart City” initiative is more than just a camera project. The Minister stated, “Anyone who views it that way either purposefully minimizes it or has not yet grasped its true dimension.”
According to Lamallari, the system is built on three interconnected parts: a centralized command and control platform, information sources dispersed around the region, and artificial intelligence that performs real-time data analysis. The minister claims that the technology allows for an instant reaction to any possible threat by processing data from 873 operating locations spread among 12 Local Police Directorates, 24 major cities, 28 border crossing points, and 20 schools in the capital of Tirana.
“Any potentially hazardous behavior or breach of the law is identified by artificial intelligence and sent to the closest patrol unit in the field as a ‘alert’ here at the Command and Control Center. A proactive and preventive response is made possible by the system’s real-time identification, analysis, and warning capabilities, the Minister said.
When discussing the initial phase of the project’s implementation, Lamallari emphasized that it is a strategically significant choice to begin with Tirana’s top 20 schools.
“With the 20 most popular schools in the city, it is no coincidence that we are beginning this initiative, which is truly an epochal leap in assuring security in Albania. A nation’s security is determined by its actual capacity to safeguard our children as well as by its crime-fighting statistics, he stated.
The Minister emphasized that schools must continue to be secure places where kids’ education and growth are the only priorities.
“For us, school is the place where students should focus only on knowledge, parents should feel reassured about their children, and institutions should provide a service worthy of a European Albania,” Lamallari said.
“Today is the right moment to express my gratitude, on behalf of the Ministry of Interior, for the political vision, the determination to turn this project into reality, and the Prime Minister’s persistent support in overcoming every obstacle and scepticism towards innovation,” Minister Besfort Lamallari concluded, thanking everyone who helped carry out the project’s first phase and emphasizing the Prime Minister’s support throughout the process.