Police cameras helped solve over 1,100 cases

The installation of more than 62,000 police cameras in Housing Board blocks and multi-storey carparks has been completed, the police announced in a statement on Sunday.

All 10,000 blocks and carparks under the PolCam 1.0 initiative, first rolled out in April 2012, are now equipped with the cameras, which police revealed have proven useful in helping to deter and solve crimes.

As of May, 2,300 video footage from the cameras provided useful leads which helped the police solve more than 1,100 cases, the police said. Such cases included unlicensed moneylending, theft and outrage of modesty.

The police will continue to install cameras at new Build-To-Order blocks and multi-storey carparks.

A new initiative, PolCam 2.0, has also been rolled out to expand camera installation to public areas in town centres, neighbourhood centres, hawker centres and linkways that lead to transport nodes such as MRT stations and bus interchanges.

The first cameras under PolCam 2.0 were put up at Ang Mo Kio Town Centre, Bedok Town Centre and Jurong Gateway last month.

About 11,000 more cameras will be progressively installed at 2,500 locations over the next few years.

The Straits Times reported in April that PolCam 2.0 is expected to be completed by December 2020.

Featuring pan-tilt-zoom functions and 360-degree views, the system will also be able to automatically analyse CCTV camera footage to detect unusual activities.

Said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) Lau Peet Meng: "We will continue to leverage on technology as part of our crime-fighting and counter- terrorism strategies to ensure a safe and secure home for everyone."

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 12, 2016, with the headline Police cameras helped solve over 1,100 cases. Subscribe