The City of Cape Town’s metro police Strategic Surveillance Unit (SSU) says expansion of the CCTV camera footprint is “on track”, with 85% of installations completed by mid-February.
The metro police SSU is responsible for the management of the CCTV network, including its expansion. This financial year, the unit is overseeing the installation of cameras and infrastructure to the value of nearly R14.4 million.
In the statement, the SSU says the CCTV network has grown to more than 1 200 cameras across the metropole, focusing on high crime areas, public spaces and critical infrastructure.
In this financial year, areas where installations are taking place include Langa, Beacon Valley, Brown's Farm, Macassar, Morningstar, Durbanville, Electric City and Malibu Village.
“Apart from our efforts to grow Cape Town’s CCTV footprint, we are also retrofitting and upgrading existing infrastructure to make sure that our cameras are on par with current technology. Cape Town’s CCTV journey has been going for more than 25 years, and it remains one of the best force multipliers for both enforcement and emergency services,” explains mayoral committee member for safety and security, alderman JP Smith.
According to the statement, work will get under way on a long-term CCTV infrastructure project for areas with no fibre networkin the next financial year.
This includes the area between Khayelitsha and Sir Lowry’s Pass Village, the deep south and parts of the southern suburbs between Wetton and Rondebosch.
In January, the CCTV network detected 3 078 incidents, including by-law transgressions, fires, traffic-related incidents and suspected acts of crime.
There were also 52 arrests that came courtesy of CCTV detections, and the South African Police Service (SAPS) sought CCTV assistance in 42 cases – of which just more than half were positive. Nyanga accounted for just more than a quarter of all the requests, it reveals.
“I am very happy that SAPS is starting to exploit this and other city resources that are geared to enhance public safety. It has taken a long time to get to this point, and while I’m sure that there is still considerable room for improvement, it is something worth applauding,” adds Smith.
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