Much of that is in the private sector, but Beijing's initiative - targeting theft and food poisoning, say police - shows how officials are increasingly mandating companies to install cameras and link up private networks with official ones.
Authorities are also investing heavily in new public projects. While some areas have gone much further than others, the national Safe City security plan aims to cover urban China with large networks.
Internal security spending has soared to almost 625bn yuan this year, more than the country's official military budget. Monitoring measures range from reinvigorating the neighbourhood committees that watch the comings and goings of residents to tightening internet controls.