Police in Beijing have for the first time covered 100 per cent of the sprawling city of over 21 million people under video surveillance and deployed more officers to improve the security facilities during the current weeklong holidays.
City police have covered every corner of the capital with a video surveillance system, the Beijing Public Security Bureau said stating that complete coverage by the video system during the National Day holiday is part of a move to tighten the capital’s security and avoid crimes in crowds.
Additionally, the police presence has been improved in crowded places such as markets, bus stations and parks.
China is virtually shutdown for a week since October 1 to celebrate the National Day during which millions of people visit different cities putting pressure on the public security system.
The capital’s tourism committee said, a total of 2.7 million travellers visited 180 major scenic spots in the city on October 2, a 12 per cent increase year-on-year. The measures followed number of tragedies. including the new year stampede at Shanghai’s beach front in which 36 people were killed and 42 injured.
During the current holiday season, police so far had detained 23 people suspected of stealing and theft in crowded places in Beijing. As the highest-level video surveillance system was launched in downtown Beijing, the Patrol Corps under Beijing’s Public Security Bureau also launched a video monitoring system throughout 19 sub-bureaus in districts and counties, as well as in 362 police stations, the bureau said.