Big Brother breaking ground in Torrevieja

Eagle eyed drivers may have noticed a recent flurry of activity atop various lampposts and other elevated zones around Torrevieja. In true Big Brother fashion, a network of Video Cameras, Radar and Transmitters have been installed around the city, not so much to spy on the population or issue speeding tickets, but to enable the provision of fast reaction for the emergency services and also to help combat crime.

Once again, Torrevieja is leading the way when it comes to deploying and installing such a system, in this case a corporate network entitled COMDES from the Generalitat Valenciana, that is available to institutions and Valencian government agencies, providing emergency, safety, prevention and rescue services. The network infrastructure is shared by several local organizations including Regional Police, Local Police, Fire Brigade, Emergency Medical Teams, Protection Civil and Forest nurseries, to name but a few, and Torrevieja is the first to have theirs fully operational.

The COMDES network utilizes the Tetra radio system, an International standard concept that is especially designed to enable communications between organizations such as law enforcement and emergency services, which among other characteristics, features advanced encryption to ensure confidentiality of communications so stop non authorised people listening into any conversation or being able to understand data transfers.

Torrevieja’s Local Police Force has received three top teams to help set-up and operate the COMDES Network, with the first computers already in operation. Through the tender process, it is hoped to have ten other terminals installed by the end of June.  And while Big Brother may be watching the actions of every car that enters or leaves the city and all activity that takes place around banks and public building, the idea to help provide more safety and security to citizens, rather than a revenue generation exercise, as it commonly the grounds for the installation of pure speed cameras!

Source: www.guide2valencia.com