Hong Kong 999 service to add live video, AI call sorting by 2028
Hong Kong's 999 emergency hotline will gain live video reporting via messaging apps and instant fire-service alerts, with AI-based call prioritisation expected by 2028, the security minister said. The city also plans 60,000 CCTV cameras by 2028, having solved over 2,000 cases.
The Hong Kong government will upgrade the 999 emergency hotline with real-time video capability and artificial-intelligence call sorting, with the new functions expected to be operational by 2028, Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung said on Saturday.
Speaking on RTHK's programme "Saturday Accountability", Tang said callers reporting fires or robberies would be able to use their phone cameras to show live footage of the scene, allowing operators to assess situations faster and deploy resources more precisely. He said the government hoped to implement the feature through commonly used messaging applications such as WhatsApp and WeChat.
Tang acknowledged the new system could add to staff workloads but said appropriate training would be provided. Under the upgrade, information from 999 calls would also be transmitted instantly to the Fire Services Department, enabling fire control centres to speak with callers and watch live video simultaneously.
The department would use artificial intelligence to prioritise different types of reports, with fire calls handled according to urgency and calls routed through a分流 system, Tang said. He estimated the new features would be launched in 2028.
On the police "Sharp Eye" closed-circuit television programme, Tang said the target was to install 60,000 cameras by 2028 and progress was on track. He revealed that more than 2,000 crimes, including serious murder and robbery cases, had been solved through the scheme, calling the results significant.
Tang said shopping mall CCTV systems would soon be connected to police networks, stressing that all measures complied with the Privacy Ordinance.
