A monitoring system comprising 200,000 surveillance cameras
covering the whole of Shenzhen was put into use Tuesday,
Chinese-language media reports said, citing an official with the
municipal public security bureau.
Some 100,000 cameras, or half of the total network, have been
installed in Bao'an and Longgang districts, said Shen Shaobao,
spokesman and deputy bureau chief, at a press conference
Tuesday.
Shen said the introduction of such a wide-ranging monitoring
system, the coverage of which ranges from main roads and busy
commercial hubs to the remotest corners of far-flung areas, will
greatly improve public security.
Bao'an and Longgang, the two largest districts of Shenzhen in
terms of area, have long been hotbeds of minor crimes such as theft
and pickpocketing. The two districts, located outside the special
economic zone (SEZ), are home to most of the city's manufacturing
industry and accommodate a large number of migrant laborers.
The police presence in Bao'an and Longgang is relatively low
compared to their population and sizes, making it easier for
criminals there to get away with their wrongdoings. The official
said the network of cameras would change that, as it would be
similar to a 24-hour police force patrolling every
neighborhood.
The cameras, financed by the city and district governments, are
mainly of three kinds. The cameras installed on the city's main
avenues like Shennan Thoroughfare, and busy commercial areas like
Huaqiangbei and Dongmen pedestrian streets can rotate 360 degrees.
They are directly connected to the command center of the municipal
public security bureau, which enables the center to dispatch
policemen as soon as they see anything suspicious.
The cameras installed in subdistricts and residential areas are
connected to the neighborhood police stations. The remaining
cameras will store images but not transmit them.
All the images recorded will be saved for at least 30 days in
the network's archive.
Shen said the next priority of the police is to extend the
network to cover banks and financial institutions, as well as
accident-prone parts of the city's expressways.
(Shenzhen Daily?March 22, 2007)