Nearly 80% of Taichung's Surveillance Cameras are Outdated, Police Department Proposes Replacement Plan
Nearly 80% of Taichung City's 32,000 surveillance cameras are outdated analog systems with blurry images, often requiring police to request footage from private residences. Taichung City Police Commissioner Wu Ching-tien stated that a 4-year replacement plan has been proposed to upgrade these cameras with higher resolution and AI capabilities, with an estimated budget of NT$3.9 billion.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 29, 2026 at 17:36
- 🔍 Collected: April 29, 2026 at 18:01 (25 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 29, 2026 at 23:46 (5h 45m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Chao Li-yen, Taichung 29th) Taichung City has 32,000 surveillance cameras, but most are analog systems with blurry images, often requiring police to request surveillance footage from private residences. Taichung City Police Commissioner Wu Ching-tien stated that Taichung City has the highest number of surveillance cameras nationwide, but nearly 80% of them are outdated, and a replacement plan has been proposed.
Former Taiwan People's Party chairman Ko Wen-je was recently mistakenly sprayed with pepper spray at Feng Chia Night Market, raising public doubts about the police's slow investigation. Wu Ching-tien admitted when explaining the case that businesses in the Feng Chia commercial district only open in the afternoon, making it impossible for the police to immediately obtain surveillance footage from them.
Taichung City Council held a police, fire, environmental, and health affairs inquiry today. City Councilor Chiang Ho-shu of the Taiwan People's Party questioned that many cases in Taichung rely on surveillance cameras for resolution. Although Taichung has the most surveillance cameras nationwide, the equipment is quite backward, with poor image resolution and inability for AI to identify, still requiring police to request footage from private residences. Democratic Progressive Party City Councilor Chen Ya-hui mentioned that the police department claims a 99% or higher operational rate for surveillance cameras, questioning whether being unable to clearly see license plates still counts as operational equipment.
Wu Ching-tien responded that Taichung City has 32,000 surveillance cameras, and almost every case investigation begins with a request for surveillance footage. He admitted that 79% of the surveillance cameras are relatively old, and currently, some cameras have a resolution of about 300,000 pixels, which is indeed insufficient compared to the million-pixel resolution in other counties and cities. A new 4-year replacement plan has been proposed to enhance the backend and incorporate AI, with an estimated budget of NT$3.9 billion. (Editor: Li Heng-shan) 1150429
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(Central News Agency reporter Chao Li-yen, Taichung 29th) Taichung City has 32,000 surveillance cameras, but most are analog systems with blurry images, often requiring police to request surveillance footage from private residences. Taichung City Police Commissioner Wu Ching-tien stated that Taichung City has the highest number of surveillance cameras nationwide, but nearly 80% of them are outdated, and a replacement plan has been proposed.
Former Taiwan People's Party chairman Ko Wen-je was recently mistakenly sprayed with pepper spray at Feng Chia Night Market, raising public doubts about the police's slow investigation. Wu Ching-tien admitted when explaining the case that businesses in the Feng Chia commercial district only open in the afternoon, making it impossible for the police to immediately obtain surveillance footage from them.
Taichung City Council held a police, fire, environmental, and health affairs inquiry today. City Councilor Chiang Ho-shu of the Taiwan People's Party questioned that many cases in Taichung rely on surveillance cameras for resolution. Although Taichung has the most surveillance cameras nationwide, the equipment is quite backward, with poor image resolution and inability for AI to identify, still requiring police to request footage from private residences. Democratic Progressive Party City Councilor Chen Ya-hui mentioned that the police department claims a 99% or higher operational rate for surveillance cameras, questioning whether being unable to clearly see license plates still counts as operational equipment.
Wu Ching-tien responded that Taichung City has 32,000 surveillance cameras, and almost every case investigation begins with a request for surveillance footage. He admitted that 79% of the surveillance cameras are relatively old, and currently, some cameras have a resolution of about 300,000 pixels, which is indeed insufficient compared to the million-pixel resolution in other counties and cities. A new 4-year replacement plan has been proposed to enhance the backend and incorporate AI, with an estimated budget of NT$3.9 billion. (Editor: Li Heng-shan) 1150429
Stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.
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The text, images, and audio-visual content of this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.