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Belgium has nearly 300,000 surveillance cameras
Belgium
10:33 13/01/2015
The use of surveillance cameras in Belgium is on the rise, report the Sudpresse newspapers based on figures from the Commission for the Protection of Personal Privacy. Last year there were a total of 287,236 surveillance cameras operational throughout Belgium, a new record.
An additional 27,386 surveillance cameras were registered in Belgium in 2014 compared with the previous year. The cameras are not only placed in private businesses such as shopping malls and other buildings, but are increasingly being used to monitor public spaces such as streets and squares.
Privacy Commission spokesperson Sarah Boulerhcha adds that both fixed and mobile cameras are increasingly being used for security purposes.
Comments
There should be CCTV absolutely everywhere -- it enables the police presence to be used effectively "on the street" (as opposed to standing on a corner with a pen and paper writing down licence plates as I continually see happen in BXL), cameras are objective, traffic violations can be imposed immediately on running through red lights (this happens every single hour on Blvd General Jacques), on taxis cutting through the queue (taxis should be fined), and more.