The City of Cape Town is rolling out an additional 1 000 body-worn cameras (bodycams) for its law enforcement officers.
This, after it began phasing in1 250 bodycams for use by enforcement services staff two years ago.
Used by police and other law enforcement organisations across the globe, a bodycam is a wearable audio, video, or photographic recording system.
According to the city, a standard operating procedure has been developed, which outlines training requirements and guides staff on the use of their bodycam.
The footage obtained via the devices is securely stored using a digital evidence management solution, it states, adding that it can only be accessed by persons with the necessary credentials. Where footage is released for legal or other purposes, it is done in a manner to ensure the chain of custody is preserved, notes the city.
“Video footage can help identify suspects, convict them and be the impartial observer of interactions or incidents, protecting both the public and our staff members,” comments alderman JP Smith, mayoral committee member for safety and security.
“The incidents captured on video also offer valuable insights into the challenges that come with enforcement, but at the same time they are valuable tools in our public education and awareness efforts.”
Cape Town’s metro police Strategic Surveillance Unit (SSU) also utilises closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and in-vehicle cameras as part of its fight against crime.
In-vehicle cameras have been used, particularly by the traffic services, for a few years now, with just over 300 such cameras in use, the city reveals.
In the case of CCTV cameras, the network has expanded to nearly 1 200 cameras in various parts of the metropole, according to a statement.
In the previous financial year (1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025), the CCTV cameras detected 59 526 incidents, an increase of 35% year-on-year. Of these, 27 059 were criminal incidents, resulting in 458 arrests, notes the city.
Furthermore, in the current financial year, the SSU is overseeing the installation of cameras and infrastructure to the value of nearly R14.4 million.
The city highlights that areas that will benefit from installations include Langa, Beacon Valley, Brown’s Farm, Macassar, Morningstar, Durbanville, Electric City and Malibu Village.
Smith explains: “In recent years, we’ve managed to grow the city’s CCTV footprint, reduced the percentage of camera outages and increased the number of incidents detected. And while the instinct is to view them as tools in the fight against crime, the camera network is so much more.
“It triggers emergency responses where victims aren’t able to call for help themselves, identifies threats before incidents happen, and deter incidents of crime or other anti-social behaviour.
“We’ve also started using other means of aerial monitoring, like drones, and sharing footage for public consumption to show how the tech that the city is investing in, is being utilised.”
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