Update on PolCam 2.0 Project
Ministry of Home AffairsSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the implementation status and privacy safeguards of the Police Camera (PolCam) 2.0 project, as raised by Mr Pritam Singh. Parliamentary Secretary Mr Amrin Amin stated that 5,000 of 11,000 planned cameras are installed to detect anomalies like fighting and facilitate suspect identification through image searches. The system has assisted in solving over 2,300 cases and is supported by 95% of residents who feel safer with the cameras' presence. To protect privacy, the Ministry uses strict access controls and regular audits, though specific data retention periods and audit frequencies remain confidential for operational reasons. Any officer found accessing footage for unauthorised purposes is severely punished to maintain high public confidence in the Singapore Police Force.
Transcript
12 Mr Pritam Singh asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what is the implementation status of the Police's PolCam 2.0 project across Singapore; (b) what specific abnormalities can the system detect; (c) what information and analytics does the system collect on a routine and on-demand or ad hoc basis; (d) what privacy concerns does the Ministry have with regard to the system; and (e) how have these concerns been mitigated.
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Home Affairs (Mr Amrin Amin) (for the Minister for Home Affairs): As of 2017, the Police have installed about 5,000 cameras under the Police Camera (PolCam) 2.0 project, in town centres, neighbourhood centres, hawker centres and linkways leading to transportation nodes, such as the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stations and bus interchanges.
PolCam 2.0 includes cameras which are designed to detect some anomalous events. These include public order situations like persons fighting and sudden congregation or dispersal of crowd. The system will then alert the Police operators, and Police resources can be dispatched, if necessary. The system can also identify suspects and allow officers to quickly search for images to facilitate investigations. The technology continues to be refined.
Polcams, including the versions before PolCam 2.0, in general, have proven to be very useful in helping the Police deter and solve crimes, including unlicensed moneylending, theft and outrage of modesty. As at the end of 2017, video footage from Polcams have helped the Police solve more than 2,300 cases.
The deployment of cameras is crucial in deterring and dealing with crime and any terrorist activity. The Police will continue to install more cameras. Our approach has broad support from the public and has resulted in people feeling safe. Public confidence and trust in the Police Force remains high. In a perception survey conducted in 2016 by the Police, about 95% of respondents feel safe in their neighbourhoods and trust the Singapore Police Force (SPF) as an organisation. Among the survey respondents who felt safer than before, the installation of Polcams in the estates was one of the top factors contributing to their perception that the neighbourhood is safer.
SPF has data protection safeguards and controls on the use of Polcam footage. The footage is securely stored, and only authorised persons are allowed to access them. Any officer found accessing the footage for unauthorised purposes will be severely dealt with.
Mr Speaker: Mr Pritam Singh.
Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied): I thank the Parliamentary Secretary for the reply. I just have three supplementary questions for the Parliamentary Secretary. Firstly, is there a more restricted regime in respect of privacy for data collected under PolCam 2.0 compared to PolCam 1.0 in view of the range of information that is collected?
Secondly, how often are audits carried out to ensure that the information collected under PolCam 2.0, in particular, is secure and only used for the purposes for which it is collected?
The third question is how soon is data wiped out under PolCam 2.0, compared to PolCam 1.0?
Mr Amrin Amin: On how soon the data is wiped out, I am not able to reveal that because of operational considerations. As for the audit and the regularity of audit and the other question on whether the regime is more restricted, we already have a very strict regime. The whole point is to ensure that we maintain public trust and confidence, and audit is something that we do very regularly. We have strict protocols and we ensure that, as I have mentioned, access is restricted and tightly controlled. Any persons found using the footages or accessing the information for unauthorised purposes will be severely dealt with.
Mr Speaker: Mr Azmoon Ahmad.
Mr Azmoon Ahmad (Nominated Member): One question for the Parliamentary Secretary. The Parliamentary Secretary mentioned that there are 5,000 cameras already implemented. How many are there to go?
Mr Amrin Amin: The Police plan to install 11,000 cameras at 2,500 locations island-wide under the PolCam 2.0 programme and this will be done over the next few years. As I have mentioned just now, we have installed about 5,000 cameras. So, we have about 6,000 more to go, under PolCam 2.0.
Mr Speaker: Mr Pritam Singh.
Mr Pritam Singh: This is a final supplementary question for the Parliamentary Secretary. I believe the question was not answered. How often are audits conducted to ensure that the information is secure?
Mr Amrin Amin: I think it is sufficient to say that audits are conducted on a regular basis. We have strict protocols on this. I am not at liberty to discuss exactly how the Police conduct their internal operations, but it would suffice to say that audits are done on a very regular basis. Checks are also conducted as and when there is a need, for example, when there are irregularities. I hope that answers the Member's question.