The fifth phase of the police forces’ citywide CCTV surveillance system comes into operation today, the Unitary Police Service (SPU) announced in a statement yesterday.
The fifth phase consists of the installation or replacement of 300 cameras on the system’s existing poles across the city.
Before today, the citywide CCTV camera system had a total of 1,620 cameras, which had been installed in four phases.
The cameras in the first phase, which came into operation in September 2016, are located in the areas around the city’s various border checkpoints.
The citywide CCTV camera system’s second and third phases came into use at the same time in June 2018. The cameras in the second phase are located on all major roads as well as transport hubs, while the cameras in the third phase are located at so-called security black spots and tourist attractions.
The cameras in the fourth phase, which came into operation in August 2020, are located in quiet places as well as places with potential security hazards.
Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak indicated late last year that out of the 300 cameras involved in the fifth phase, only 81 are newly installed on existing poles, while the remainder are merely replacing some of the current cameras, or adjusting the angles of some of the current cameras.
Yesterday’s SPU statement said that 298 out of the fifth phase’s 300 cameras will come into use today, while the remaining two cameras will only be installed later this year because of ongoing roadwork projects at the respective locations.
Police probe 3,665 cases by using CCTV last year
Yesterday’s statement also said that the police forces investigated 3,665 criminal cases by making use of their citywide CCTV camera system, colloquially known as “Eyes in the Sky”, last year, such as homicides, drug selling, robberies, thefts, arsons, possession of prohibited weapons, causing bodily harm, frauds, and thefts by finding.
The statement also said that the government has commenced studying and planning the sixth phase of the citywide CCTV surveillance system. In addition, the statement said, the government will commence the planning and installation of CCTV cameras in the Zone A land reclamation area in due course.
Zone A is primarily being developed for public housing projects, with only some plots earmarked for private residential projects.
This photo taken yesterday shows a set of cameras of the police forces’ citywide CCTV surveillance system in Rua do Campo. – Photo: Maria Cheang Ut Meng
