Beijing has over 30,000 surveillance cameras

BEIJING: Beijing has more than 30,000 surveillance cameras to help curb "immoral" and illegal activities, making the Chinese capital a highly-monitored city.

Images from the cameras were previously used to aid searches or to confirm evidence, police said.

However, camera surveillance is now integrated with patrols to form a monitoring network that helps police proactively spot and fight crime, state-owned China News Service reported.

The cameras are ranked on three parameters.

Level-one cameras monitor core areas and critical streets in each district around the clock, including Wangfujing, Xi Dan, Financial Street and Dongda Street.

Second-level cameras keep a watch on business streets, traffic stations and high-risk areas such as shopping malls and bus stops during rush hour.

Level-three cameras monitor other streets and blind spots on an irregular basis.

Camera surveillance helped police crack the infamous " Wangfujing robbery" case on March 16, when a suspect was arrested just 22 minutes after the crime.

Police also arrested another offender on January 20 with the help of the cameras.