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Councilors query security cameras

Democratic Progressive Party Taipei City Councilor Lee Chien-chang lashes out at the Taipei City Police Department at a press conference yesterday over the unusually high number of security cameras surrounding Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou's residence. The map marks the location of the cameras. PHOTO: CHANG CHIA-MING, TAIPEI TIMES

Taipei City councilors lashed out at the Taipei City Police Department (TCPD) yesterday for the unusually high number of security cameras surrounding former Taipei mayor Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) residence.

"At the moment, there are 22 security cameras altogether covering a 50m2 area surrounding Ma's residence" Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) city councilor Huang Hsiang-chun (黃向群) told a press conference, "which is a density that is 10 times higher than the average of 50 cameras per km2 in the city."

"All intersections with streets that lead to Ma's residence are monitored by a security camera ? eight of the cameras directly monitor the front entrance and the back alley of Ma's residence," said Lee Chien-chang (李建昌), another DPP city councilor at the press conference, while pointing out locations of the security cameras on a map.

"It's a waste of government resources," he said.

TCPD officials rebutted the accusation.

"The number of security cameras in the area was decided based on the population, and all cameras were set up to ensure public safety," said Lou Jin-ding (婁金定), director of the department's crime prevention division.

However, Lou's explanation did not convince the councilors.

"It's true that these cameras were set up for public safety, and at critical spots, but the problem is where they point," DPP city councilor Hsu Shu-hwa (許淑華) said.

For example, although one camera is located near a bank, "it doesn't point at the bank, but at Ma's residence," she said.

The police did not respond to the statement but reaffirmed that all the camera locations were justified.
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