In his speech at the Conference on Security, Democracy and Cities, which was held in November 2006, Ian Micallef, President of the Congress Chamber of Local Authorities, claims that the security "... begins in the cities and villages of Europe. It is in the cities and villages where people invest their lives, and it is in the cities and villages where the local and regional authorities have the prime responsibility for protecting them from crime and acts of violence." (Quoted from article)