Tokyo Metropolitan Police will deploy a balloon with a surveillance camera to step up security for the upcoming Olympics and Paralympics. The surveillance balloon will be flown about 100 meters above the areas facing Tokyo Bay where many of the competition venues are located.
Police tested the balloon and camera earlier at a site in the waterfront area. The balloon is about six meters wide, and police say its high-performance camera can quickly detect suspicious movements of people on the ground.
The footage will be transmitted to Tokyo police headquarters and will also be used to assess traffic flow during the games. The Olympics and Paralympics will be held at 43 venues, mainly in Tokyo. Local police, along with reinforcement officers from around Japan and private guards will be mobilized for one of the largest security operations ever seen in Japan.
