Thanks to cameras, the police still find 8 out of 10 people involved on site

This is apparent from an evaluation of the camera network, which now has almost 200 cameras.

In addition to analyzing retro-active images, the Riho police zone also monitors live images 24 hours a day from 193 cameras, mainly in Roeselare, but also Izegem and two in Hooglede. And that large number pays off. Kris Declercq, mayor of Roeselare: “That is a huge investment, but it has also become relevant, as the figures show. Last year there were about 1,200 findings and they are therefore very relevant for investigative work. In 84% of the number of facts that are seen here in real time, the person involved can still be found on the spot. That is excellent.”

Peter Vandorpe, commissioner of the Riho police zone: “Today we have established a traffic accident with material damage and a hit-and-run. We sent a team and were able to arrest the perpetrator.”

Several years ago there were only 17 cameras. Now it seems like you’ve been seen everywhere. The zone also contains a number of controversial Chinese cameras that could recognize faces, which is against the privacy law. “Roeselare is in a framework contract with various police zones that have taken the position that prevention is better than cure and that is why we are not buying new Chinese cameras. We join that line. But today our system is actually fine because there is no internet connection. It is a closed system on which the software is not installed.”