Singapore to double police cameras to more than 200,000 over next decade

FILE PHOTO: A police surveillance camera is seen in Singapore November 16, 2018. REUTERS/Thomas White

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore aims to have more than 200,000 police cameras by at least 2030, Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam said on Tuesday, over double the current number of cameras deployed across the island state.

With a land area of little over 700 square kilometres (270 square miles), Singapore has strict laws and its surveillance tools include more than 90,000 police cameras already installed across the city.

"Surveillance cameras deployed by governments whether in Singapore or other countries, are sometimes criticised as being an invasion of privacy," Shanmugam, who is also the law minister, told parliament.

"These claims overlook a couple of basic points that most people want to live in an environment which is safe and secure," he said.

Singapore, a city-state of about 5.7 million people, is one of the safest countries in the world, according to a 2019 Gallup poll.