Hong Kong police 'Sharp Eye' scheme to expand to private malls this year
Hong Kong police say their 'Sharp Eye' CCTV network will expand to private premises this year, with several malls agreeing to connect their cameras. Senior police officer Leung Ming-lap says the scheme meets legal and security standards.
Hong Kong police have announced that their 'Sharp Eye' surveillance scheme will expand to private premises this year, with several shopping malls already agreeing to connect their closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems to the network.
Senior Superintendent Leung Ming-lap of the force's operations division said the response from malls during discussions had been positive, with many expressing interest in joining the scheme. He attributed this to the scheme's proven effectiveness in solving cases and preventing crime, as well as the added layer of security it provides for malls that already have their own CCTV systems.
Leung said police had consulted legal experts and third-party bodies to ensure the scheme meets all regulatory and oversight requirements. Asked whether malls would need to add signage informing the public of the connection, he said police encouraged such measures to help people understand the crime-prevention benefits and increase their sense of safety.
The senior superintendent noted that connecting mall CCTV systems to 'Sharp Eye' would save time and manpower in future investigations, as police would no longer need to apply separately to each location for footage or find someone familiar with each system.
When asked about the risk of hackers accessing data collected by 'Sharp Eye' through a mall's CCTV system, Leung said the scheme's information security meets the government's highest standards. He added that authorities had invested heavily in a dedicated fibre-optic network for the scheme, making the risk of data theft very low.
According to sources, the malls involved include Olympia City and Tuen Mun Town Plaza, both owned by the Sino Group; Kwai Chung Commercial Plaza, under the Housing Authority; and The Latitude in Fanling, managed by the Housing Society.