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New Taipei to launch high-tech surveillance system

ROC Central News Agency

2011/08/24 19:23:12

By Chen Pei-huang, Sunrise Huang and C.J. Lin

New Taipei, Aug. 24 (CNA) The New Taipei Police Department activated a brand new, cutting-edge Intelligence Integrated Center (IIC) Wednesday, with the goal of using the technology to help lower the city's crime rate.

Similar to a fictional system dreamed up for the movie titled "Enemy of the State," which tracks suspects using both security cameras and satellite images, the new technology can integrate information provided by the Global Positioning System (GPS), the Geographic Information System (GIS) and the 110 hotline telephone reporting system, enabling the precise location of an incident to be pinpointed and the police officers closest to the scene to be quickly dispatched.

The center will also be able to compile images from more than 13,354 digital cameras in the existing road surveillance system, which will be boosted by an additional 27,000 high resolution cameras by 2014.

The image monitoring system automatically matches facial pictures with images in identity card records and other databases, which will help strengthen the ability of the police to identify suspects and track criminal activity.

New Taipei Deputy Mayor Hou Yu-ih estimated that the installation of the new surveillance system will cost NT$2 billion (US$68.94 million), but said the benefits will outweigh the cost.

The fast search system will also help cut the number of officers needed to investigate a case and will increase police efficiency, according to Hou.

However, some critics expressed concern that the new surveillance system will put people's personal privacy at risk, as hackers could gain people's personal information.

Others were also uncomfortable with the thought of being constantly monitored on camera.

The police department officers said that only authorized officers will have access to the system and that activity in the system will be automatically recorded to prevent illegal access.

Maintenance of the camera equipment will also be made easier with the new system, they said, noting that if a surveillance camera is damaged or malfunctions, it will send a warning signal to the center through GIS to alert the police.