Belgium, Ghent, East Flanders
Ghent police zone
Video analytics search (BriefCam), supplied by BriefCam
OperationalJournalismPAI-3B60D83C
- Body
- Ghent police zone
- Country
- Belgium
- Area
- Ghent, East Flanders
- Technology
- Video analytics search (BriefCam)
- Supplier
- BriefCam
- Status
- Operational
In routine use by the named body, on the evidence of a public source. - Stage
- In use now
- Since
- Not known
- Legal basis
- Not stated in the source
- Oversight
- Supervisory Body for Police Information (COC), which checks police compliance with privacy and camera legislation.
- Evidence
- Journalism
Named reporting by a reputable outlet - Source
- The Brussels Times, 23 September 2024
- Last checked
- Record code
PAI-3B60D83C
Notes
The Brussels Times (23 September 2024) reports that Ghent police openly confirmed using BriefCam to screen hours of camera footage automatically, not for facial recognition; the example given is searching for a suspect matching witnesses' descriptions of clothing, which a spokesperson said would otherwise take hours of manual review. In the same report Aalst police also confirmed use, Antwerp declined to say, and Leuven and Bruges said they do not use BriefCam. The chair of the Supervisory Body for Police Information (COC), Frank Schuermans, told Het Nieuwsblad that facial recognition may be used only within a judicial investigation or when the search is limited to the police photo database, and that scraping is unacceptable. Professor Paul De Hert (VUB) is quoted saying there has been no proper parliamentary debate on the matter. No start date or contract is stated.
Video analytics search (BriefCam) elsewhere in Belgium
See them in the tracker| Deployment | Country | Supplier | Since | Status | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brussels police zoneVideo Analytics Search (BriefCam) | BelgiumBelgium, Brussels | BriefCam | 2023 | Operational | |
| Aalst police zoneBriefCam video analytics | BelgiumEast Flanders | BriefCam | — | Operational |