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Mossos monitor the papal visit with more than 250 live cameras
Leo XIV's visit to Barcelona has activated one of the largest security operations seen in Catalonia. More than 7,000 officers are taking part in an operation that combines police presence on the streets, access checks, aerial surveillance and a new real-time monitoring system.
The most visible part is around the events, official routes and areas with the greatest concentration of people. But the heart of the operation is far from the streets: in the Sala Central de Mandos at the Egara complex, from where the Mossos d’Esquadra coordinate every movement of the papal visit.
The Catalan police have launched a video-surveillance system that connects more than 250 cameras. Images arrive live from fixed cameras, vehicles in the convoy, officers’ personal devices, drones and the police helicopter, making it possible to follow the operation’s development from different points in the city.
The objective is to detect any incident immediately and make decisions without waiting for information to arrive through slower channels. On a visit involving travel, mass events and mobility restrictions, a few minutes can be key to reorganising access, reinforcing an area or opening an alternative route.
The signal is also shared with other forces and institutions involved in security, such as Policía Nacional, Guardia Civil, Guardia Urbana, Casa Real, Presidencia del Gobierno and the Ejército del Aire y del Espacio. The Pope’s visit does not depend on a single force, but on constant coordination between administrations.
To prevent connection failures, coverage has been reinforced at strategic points and some vehicles have satellite links. The idea is that the system will maintain transmission even if a camera, an antenna or a particular connection stops working during the operation.
The Sala Central de Mandos will work uninterruptedly for 60 hours and has added a hundred additional personnel. From there, routes, access points, crowds and any change that may affect the progress of the visit or mobility in Barcelona are monitored.
The deployment means more checks, more police presence and possible disruption to travel. For the Mossos, it represents a test of technological coordination at an event of maximum public exposure, where security is at stake both in the street and on the screens at Egara.