The surveillance system, which is now prominently dubbed “Sky Net,” has been in constant improvement since 2012. (Photo : Reuters)
Surveillance equipment now cover every corner of Beijing, timely for the country's celebration of its National Day holiday from Oct. 1-7, according to a report by the Want China Times.
The surveillance system, which is now prominently dubbed "Sky Net," has been in constant improvement since 2012.
Based on data from the Beijing Public Security Bureau, the number of cameras installed increased by 29 percent last year and, for the first time, the government has achieved 100 percent surveillance of the city.
The report goes on to state that the increased efforts in monitoring activity within the city is in line with the goal of tightening security in the capital and catching criminal perpetrators within large crowds.
To augment the initiative, police presence in public places such as markets and bus stations have also increased.
According to the bureau, the system has improved police efficiency, with surveillance camera officers solving 1,500 cases since the beginning of the year. Approximately 2,370 suspects have been detained in 2015 so far, which is an increase of 5 percent from last year.
Elsewhere, video surveillance systems have also been implemented. In Changsha, located in central China's Hunan Province, 528 million yuan ($83 million) has been spent on providing more efficient monitoring systems and other related facilities since 2011.
It is estimated that 50,000 surveillance cameras are already functioning in Changsha as of this year. As a result, the policy has been credited with helping solve 170,000 criminal cases, the report added.
During the 2008 Beijing Olympics, around 300,000 CCTV cameras were put in place by authorities to increase security surveillance in an especially crowded time.
