Saturday, May 22, 2010

Only the guilty have something to fear

Within eight months, the sophisticated security system that Torrevieja has invested its Plan E money for 2010 in will be in operation. It will be the only one in Spain and will set an example that other towns and cities may want to follow.

The Torrevieja system combines marine radar and video cameras to survey key points of the city. The radar, which has a range of kilometres,  will first of all detect the  type of vehicle:  motorcycle, car or truck. Then, if  the vehicle is exceeding the speed limit,  the system will rotate a video camera to record the incident and capture the number plate.

Once police have that information, they can check whether the vehicle is stolen. They can also monitor whether the vehicle is begin used  part of another crime for example a robbery.

Because the equipment uses “endless tape” the footage can be reviewed at any time in the future which means they will be able to tie current incidents to ones from the past. However, there is no intention for this to be a form of secret surveillance; the positions of the fifty cameras will be well publicised.

By keeping a watch over public buildings,  parks and gardens, the system should also reduce acts of vandalism making the city a more pleasant and safer place to live. 

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