Bulgaria’s Sunny Beach steps up video surveillance ahead of 2013 summer season
Bulgaria’s popular summer seaside resort of Sunny Beach is installing more than 300 of the latest high-tech models of video surveillance cameras ahead of the holiday season as part of anti-crime measures.
Installation of the new cameras was necessary particularly because most of the existing cameras, installed in 2006, had ceased to function because their software expired and, in any case, the cameras functioned poorly at night.
At the height of the summer season, about 50 to 60 crimes a day are committed at the resort, bTV quoted police as saying.
Police have been testing the new video system, which will be used not only to “recognise potential offenders” but also to track vehicles through licence plate recognition.
To speed up responses to crimes, the resort now also will have its own emergency number 112 station.
The number of police seconded to the resort will be increased.
Hoteliers have continued to push for the establishment of a specialist tourist police for Bulgaria’s summer and winter resorts, but Parliament – prorogued as of March 15 – has not adopted a decision on this.
Sozopol municipality also plans to develop video surveillance in the seaside resort town, an issue that has become especially urgent after a number of cases of arson.
(Photo: vacacionesbulgaria.com)
