In the past, if you committed a crime in a dark alley of a small town, getting away with your misdeed wouldn’t be a difficult task.
All you’d have to worry about is your own conscience, and finding a way to sleep at night (turns out many criminals slept very well).
Things are a little different these days, however. With smartphones that can catch wrongdoers on video within seconds, it’s become much easier for the police to establish the identity of perps and apprehend them.
Now, the addition of even more “digital eyewitnesses” will stand in the way of lawbreakers.
By 2030, There Will Be 200,000 Police Cameras in S’pore Islandwide
By 2030, when Singapore enters Phase 26 (Heightened Annoyance) of its safe reopening, there will be a lot more police cameras installed across the country.
Speaking in parliament, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said there are currently more than 90,000 police cameras islandwide.
But this number will increase to 200,000 by 2030.
This will help the police detect, deter, and solve cases, Mr Shanmugam said.
The Law Minister likened the police cameras to a eyewitness, saying having cameras in public spaces is no different from the police interviewing eyewitnesses during investigations.
“The camera is a constant, ever-present eyewitness, whose memory won’t be suspect. It’s literally black-and-white evidence,” he added.
An Invasion of Privacy?
The 90,000-plus cameras have been installed in public places since 2012, including residential areas, neighbourhood centres, and car parks.
As for whether such tight surveillance is an invasion of privacy, Mr Shanmugam said that these claims overlooked the fact that most people want to live in a safe and secure environment.
He gave the example of a recent armed robbery involving an auxiliary police officer with a gun in April. Thanks to the aid of footage from police cameras, the man was caught within five hours.
The cameras have reportedly already been used to solve more than 5,000 cases. Earlier this year, Mr Shanugam described the cameras as a “game-changer’.
So, the next time you’re about to commit a crime, stop, and remember that Big Brother is probably watching you.
Reader: What do you mean the “next” time?
Police to Get Drones, New Guns, & Training Bots Too
Cameras aren’t the only technology the police will be using to solve crimes.
The SPF aims to deploy more drones that will be used in surveillance and patrols.
Police officers will also get a new gun – the Glock 19 Gen 5 pistol – replacing the Taurus M85 revolver currently used by officers. The Glock carries three times more rounds.
Police trainees will also get to work with remote-controlled bots, which will play the role of a human during taser training, therefore lowering risks of injury.
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Featured Image: Image: 2p2play / Shutterstock.com
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