The City of Johannesburg will expand its CCTV network in an effort to reduce crime and improve city management during the upcoming 2010 Soccer World Cup.
The city says, since the inception of its safety and security programme, more than 46 000 incidents have been closely monitored. However, it noted the capacity of its systems would have to increase in preparation for the major soccer tournament.
The R42 million camera system is managed by the Joburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) and operated by Omega Risk Solutions. Earlier this year, the JMPD ran a trial of the system, using footage captured from 216 CCTV cameras around the CBD to combat muggings, murders, car crashes, and smash and grabs.
The complete system is a digital virtual matrix with less than 100-milliseconds latency. Operators keep an eye on activity around the city by constantly viewing the 40-inch monitors. The communication capacity is a point-to-point fibre-optic system.
There are over 700 CCTV cameras in the inner city. Inspector Edna Mamonyane, spokesperson for the JMPD, says the successful CCTV camera operation will be expanded to deal with the influx of visitors expected next year.
"The project has demonstrated that electronic surveillance and CCTV monitoring can be effective. This way we can manage the urban environment and take away any opportunity criminals may have to commit offences,” says Mamonyane.
"We get a lot of questions about safety in the city. By improving our services, we can demonstrate that we are indeed ready for 2010,” says Mamonyane.
Making improvements
Johannesburg mayor Amos Masondo previously stated improvements to surveillance systems would be a constant project for the city. He also said the CCTV camera operation was a high point for the city's efforts to improve safety.
The CCTV camera network consists of 700 cameras, situated at various locations in the inner city and is fully operational. The network covers the entire CBD, Braamfontein, Doornfontein and Joubert Park.
Cameras are placed on the roofs of inner city buildings and other key areas, such as the Sandton CBD and Soccer City, in Nasrec. The system provides surveillance on access routes and is used to monitor traffic and service delivery problems and identify potential hazards.
Mamonyane says the surveillance system is not only for security, but also for real-time data on resources and facilities, and has proved to be an effective management tool.
Camera lenses zoom in up to a range of 3km and the system has a number plate recognition system that allows operators to check if cars have been reported stolen. The network system has been upgraded from analogue to digital, and is also designed to track and search for offenders.
The camera network is linked to the hi-tech macro surveillance system. The average response time from the JMPD, South African Police Service and other emergency service reaction units, to any incident captured on monitoring screens, is 60 seconds. Software upgrades have also been carried out, to give the JMPD better night visibility.
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