GEORGE TOWN: The first in the country facial recognition technology to combat crime is up and running to keep Penang island safer than ever.
The RM12 million project using IBM system technology, which was implemented in stages since December 2017, will be used to identify those in the police wanted list and locate their positions before actions can be taken against them.
At the moment, there are 767 cameras installed around the island which will be used and integrated into the system using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to maximise efforts to fight crime.
“CCTVs (closed circuit television camera footages) are important to collect data and now we have to see how to interprete the data. There must be an algorithm and pattern which can even help to prevent crime before it happens.
“We are taking step by step to improve the system even further,” state Local Government, Housing, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo told a press conference today.
Earlier, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said Penang would need at least 3,000 cameras to fully use the facial recognition system throughout the state.
Jagdeep later said he shared the same view that there should be more cameras installed.
Also present were state police chief Datuk Seri A. Thaiveegan and Penang Island City Council (MBPP) mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang.
Thaiveegan said police would use the data where they listed down the wanted people and use the system in order to nab the culprits.
Explaining on the process, he said whenever a criminal activity happens, the cameras would record the footage and extract the image of the suspect to be used in the system to locate them.
Once the camera captures the latest whereabouts of the suspect, it will trigger alarm and the police will manually monitor the movement before approaching and making arrest.
“We do not go straight to the person and arrest them. We have to check their identification cards and crosscheck with out database on the wanted list before taking action.
“The cameras usually trigger when it reaches 80 to 90 per cent accuracy and even that depends on the camera quality, hence we have to check the person before arresting them,” he added.
When asked if the people should fear data leaks, he said that the police was responsible in managing the data.
“If the crimes are committed outside the state and there are images of the person who committed it, we can locate them (the criminals) as well using this technology,” he added.