City of Cape Town hopes to intensify fight against crime with R50m CCTV expansion

The City of Cape Town says it has proposed an investment of R50m to expand CCTV camera installations across the city as part of its crime response.

Mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith said on Wednesday the proposal is contained in the draft budget for the 2022/2023 financial year.

If approved, areas covered will receive additional CCTV installations and areas not covered will be equipped with cameras.

Baden Powell Drive, CBDs in Goodwood, Wynberg, Kuils River and Parow, Nolungile and Nonkqubela stations, Hanover Park, Manenberg and Nyanga are some of the areas listed in the proposal for installations.

An additional R6.4m from ward allocation funding will see CCTV camera installations in 37 wards.

“It is widely accepted that cameras act as a deterrent to crime and antisocial behaviour, but they are also a force multiplier, providing crucial intelligence and guidance to officers on the ground,” said Smith.

CCTV cameras are also useful in detecting fires and other incidents and triggering alerts to the authorities.

“During February 2022, the CCTV system detected 1,287 incidents which resulted in 31 arrests from 262 crime incidents relayed to responders. Operators also detected 247 traffic-related incidents, 175 fire incidents and 53 bylaw transgressions,” he said.

In a non-criminal incident, a 10-year old boy was seen on camera crying after he was separated from his parents. Authorities contacted his father and they were reunited.

Smith called on residents in the city and surrounding areas to report suspicious or criminal activity to authorities.

Similar efforts are under way in the eThekwini metro. Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda said on Wednesday the metro accounted for nearly half of criminal incidents in KwaZulu-Natal.

The city centre, which has a population of 4-million, registered high levels of crime, including rape, business robberies and murders. The city will deploy additional police to ensure heightened visibility in hotspots and install CCTV cameras, he said.

“We are ensuring that the CCTV technology goes beyond the CBD. We received good news from Sanral that the upgrade of their cameras is at an advanced stage and their cameras will be linked with SAPS and metro police to ensure their information gets direct to our systems,” said Kaunda.

“We want to ensure that we recognise criminals when they arrive and leave the city, so we prevent them from committing crime elsewhere and in our municipality.”

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