Service: Smart video surveillance by the local police: Briefcam

Responsible organisation: Kortrijk, Kuurne, and Lendelde (Local Government)

Since 2019, the local police in the cities of Kortrijk, Kuurne, and Lendelde (VLAS) have been using a ‘smart’ video surveillance system developed by an American company called Briefcam. According to the police, the goals of the system are as follows: To aid. For instance, if a person with a backpack and wearing a blue coat has fled in a certain direction, this person can be found easily by the algorithm. The person is then traced on other cameras to get a more complete picture of the route he or she took and to detect crimes that might have been committed. The system can also help search for lost children and solve bicycle theft more easily. The generation of live. For instance, at the beginning and end of the school day, trucks are not permitted to drive near schools. If a truck is spotted driving through an area it is not allowed to, the system sends an alert to the police. Collect statistical information to support The system stores all ‘objects’ (for example: people, small and large vehicles, and animals) that appear in the video images. An algorithm then decides what category each object belongs to, and, after this first categorization, a sub-categorization is made. For example, when it comes to people, the system categorizes each person as either a man, woman, or child before further categorizing by clothing: short/long sleeves, short/long trousers, color of clothing, and things such as hats, handbags, backpacks, etc. The same system of categorization is used for vehicles. For example, if the vehicle has two wheels: Is it a bicycle or a motorcycle? For different vehicles: Is it a car, pick-up, van, truck, or a bus? In addition, the direction, size, and velocity of the object are also registered. The system is also able to implement face recognition (PZVlas, 2019), although, at the moment, there is no legal framework to regulate use by the police. However, as the spokesperson of the VLAS police zone indicated in an interview: in exceptional circumstances, when requested by an investigatory judge, it is possible to use face recognition

Additional information

Source Open Innovation Regione Lombardia
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Start/end date 2019 -
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