Maximum security for the Zurich Police and Justice Centre
Zurich’s new crime prevention centre began operations in the heart of the city in 2022. The construction site was extensively protected by state-of-the-art security technology from Securiton. An intrusion detection and video surveillance system continues to ensure the facility’s security.
The Police and Justice Centre ranks amongst the canton’s largest and most complex buildings. Erected on the former Zurich-West railway goods depot site near Hardbrücke, it provides Zurich with a competence centre in the fight against crime and enables the cantonal police force, formerly spread across 30-plus sites, to merge with the prosecution authorities and the police and justice cells.
Everything under one roof
It is a whole 20 years since Zurich’s governing council determined where the centre should be located. Over that time, there were two referendums and a great deal of discussion concerning cost, size, location and purpose. The foundation stone was finally laid in 2017. The shell was completed in 2022, following which the building was put into operation. The former Aussersihl-Hard railway goods depot site is now home to cantonal police departments, the public prosecutor’s office and law enforcement agencies, plus the Zurich Forensic Institute, the Zurich Police College and elements of the court handling detention measures. Working there are some 2030 personnel. Also on site are around 280 holding cells for preliminary arrests and pretrial detention. All in all, the building meets all current and future police, law enforcement and prosecution service requirements, with room to expand.
Secure building site, secure building with mobile object protection
Safety and security are high on the agenda in a project of this nature. This was made very evident following vandalism of the site’s power plant shortly after the foundation stone was laid in 2017. Securiton laid the technical foundation for combined human-technology site security by deploying its SecuriSiteTec mobile security solution for access control and video surveillance. Three containers and two turnstiles controlled access at the main entrance to the site, which could not be entered without an electronic badge. Numerous cameras around the entire construction site reliably sealed off the perimeter with their round-the-clock monitoring of the area. Thanks to intelligent software, every movement was automatically registered, with the alarm centre able to summon the necessary emergency services if necessary. Thermal imaging cameras ensured detection of vandalism, attacks or intrusion at night.
Ongoing security
Following the facility’s handover in 2022, the cantonal police have been responsible for its security. However, they continue to rely on security solutions from Securiton today, including a comprehensive SecuriSafe 3000 intrusion alarm system, a g+m voice alarm system, a SecuriLink UMS universal management system, and a video intercom system installed in the cells facility, operations centre and administration area.
