More than 200 "security cameras" will be installed in Yangpu District over the next four years to improve social security round-the-clock, district officials said yesterday.
They said the cameras will be used mainly to document crimes, natural disasters and illegal stalls in major public venues in the district, such as the Wujiaochang area - a rising business center.
"The monitor system will help us supervise social security problems in a more efficient way," Tang Guoqing, an official of the district's public security bureau, said.
The rotating cameras, when installed, will have a clear vantage on what's happening in a circular area within a radius of 300 to 400 meters.
By that means, police can efficiently track an escaped criminal or find out about any problems concerning social security in the district, such as thefts in residential apartments, officials said.
Moreover, the cameras can also help eliminate the illegal stalls in the district and locate areas hit by natural disasters, such as typhoons and flooding.
"Normally, illegal stalls are very difficult to monitor because we cannot keep an eye on those areas around the clock," said Chen Youhua, a senior engineer of Shanghai Urban Planning Administrative Bureau.
The total cost of the system could reach tens of millions yuan as the government has to lay special cables to connect the cameras to the district's police control headquarter.
Other districts, including Xuhui and Huangpu districts, are also considering such measures to improve the social security situation in their districts. However, some residents worry extensive use of such monitors might infringe on privacy.
"There are many residential areas near Wujiaochang. Once the cameras are installed, some of the residents' private behavior might be observed," said a Fudan University student surnamed Huang.