The 216 CCTV cameras operational in the inner city and along some freeways are fighting crime and lawlessness, says the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD).
Spokesman chief superintendent Wayne Minnaar says city surveillance cameras monitored 291 incidents of crime in July, leading to 81 arrests for offences ranging from drug dealing to assault, as well as bag snatching, cellphone theft, pointing firearms and possessing stolen goods.
They also witnessed 298 traffic incidents and made seven arrests for drunken and reckless driving.
The cameras also witnessed 100 bylaw violations, including damage to council property, such as roadside barricades, and the theft of city assets, such as manhole covers.
Minnaar says the CCTV network, operated by contractor Omega Risk Solutions, covers the city's old CBD, from Fordsburg in the west to Jeppe in the east, Selby in the south to Braamfontein and Hillbrow in the north.
City cameras also monitor traffic on the M1, M2, N1 and N3 freeways.
Asked if the city plans to expand the CCTV network, Minnaar said the current number is sufficient for the inner city. The JMPD also liaises closely with the Rosebank and Sandton city improvement districts, which run their own CCTV networks.
He says there are no plans to expand the traffic monitoring network into the suburbs, as traffic volumes are largely tied with the morning and evening rush hours. Volumes in between, particularly at night, do not justify the expense. Patrols are deemed more expedient.
The city is boosting the size of the JMPD and plans to have about 4 000 officers on patrol duties by June 2010, when Johannesburg will co-host the Fifa Soccer World Cup.
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