Video surveillance in Chemnitz city centre
Video surveillance has been in operation in Chemnitz city centre since the beginning of October 2018. Various areas are monitored with 31 high-resolution cameras outside.
Video surveillance in the city centre serves to prevent and avert danger. Video surveillance is intended to prevent administrative offences and criminal offences. If necessary, the video recordings are used to provide objective evidence and prosecution in the event of offences and criminal offences. The city administration uses video surveillance to protect citizens from harassment, to combat disruptions to public safety and order, to protect against vandalism and littering and to enforce the ban on glass bottles and alcohol in the areas under video surveillance.
Explanatory film on video surveillance in Chemnitz
Below we answer the most important questions about the installed cameras:
Questions and answers: What you need to know about video surveillance
The basis for the City of Chemnitz's participation in the installation of video surveillance in the city centre is a city council resolution dated 23.5.18. Image recordings to ensure public safety and order are possible within the framework of the applicable data protection laws. In addition, the Saxon Police Act regulates video surveillance in "high-risk locations".
The use of optical-electronic security technology in publicly accessible large-scale facilities and in public bus and tram transport is a measure to increase the safety of the population. Video surveillance serves to prevent administrative offences, criminal offences, vandalism, pollution, nuisance and the resulting potential dangers for citizens, dangers for passengers and public transport employees as well as the prevention of vandalism at bus stops and in public transport vehicles. In this way, misdemeanours and criminal offences can be prevented and, if necessary, the image material can be used to secure evidence and prosecute. Video surveillance also serves to improve citizens' sense of security.
It is a joint project of Chemnitzer Verkehrs-AG, C³ Veranstaltungszentren GmbH, Chemnitz Police Headquarters and Chemnitz City Council.
With the installation of the video technology, the following areas in the city centre are monitored:
- The entrance area of the town hall,
- the Am Roten Turm park
- the bus stops and track areas on the Straße der Nationen between Brückenstraße and Rathausstraße,
- the central bus stop (Rathausstraße),
- the stops and track areas on Bahnhofstraße between Am Rathaus and Johannisplatz and on Bahnhofstraße between Reitbahnstraße and Zschopauer Straße,
- the area in front of the cultural department stores' "Das TIETZ" in the direction of Reitbahnstraße,
- the bus stop and track area on Reitbahnstraße between Bahnhofstraße and Moritzstraße
The video surveillance will be made recognisable in the form of signs so that people entering this area are made aware of it. Further information can be found on the City of Chemnitz website.
As live image users, the project partners CVAG, C³ and the City of Chemnitz only have access to the areas belonging to them, i.e. only to their respective areas to be monitored. As a live image user, the police department has access to all areas to be monitored.
In connection with the reporting and prosecution of administrative offences and the prosecution of criminal offences, the public order office is granted data access rights to the entire video camera footage.
The cameras run 24 hours a day, overview images of the respective areas are taken and the data is stored on a separate server. The data is automatically deleted after 10 days or, within this period, the corresponding data is handed over to the police department or the public prosecutor's office with a criminal complaint or, within this period, to the City of Chemnitz for the prosecution of administrative offences.
Panomera S4 and Panomera S8 cameras are used. These cameras have a multifocal sensor system, which is particularly suitable for video surveillance of large areas. The overall image is permanently captured and recorded. Automatic brightness and gain control and automatic white balance are provided. A resolution of greater than 125 px/m is guaranteed across the entire object area. If necessary, the recorded images can be used in court.
The video surveillance concept developed jointly by the project partners has been submitted to the Saxon Data Protection Commissioner. He was informed about the project from the outset. The final measures are currently being implemented to ensure that the operational, technical-organisational and formal aspects of data protection are met by the time the system goes live.