The proposal, contained in the draft budget for the new financial year, will see significant investments in areas not currently covered, like Baden Powell Drive, or additional CCTV resources in areas with some existing infrastructure.

The total proposed capital expenditure for the expansion of the City’s CCTV footprint in 2022/23 is R50 052 000.

Among the areas on the list are Baden Powell Drive, Central Business Districts (CBDs) in Goodwood, Wynberg, Kuils River and Parow; Nolungile and Nonkqubela stations, Hanover Park and Manenberg, and Nyanga.

Further installations will take place in 37 wards, courtesy of ward allocation funding totaling more than R6,4 million.

‘The City is committed to increasing its contribution to public safety through human and technological resources, and our proposed investment in CCTV for the next financial year speaks to that commitment. It is widely accepted that cameras do act as a deterrent to crime and anti-social behaviour, but they are also a force multiplier, providing crucial intelligence and guidance to officers on the ground. More than that, our CCTV operators are able to sound the alarm and dispatch appropriate resources, whether to an incident of crime, an accident scene or a fire,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.

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 by-law transgressions.

More recently, on Saturday, 26 March 2022, a CCTV operator detected a young boy, approximately 10 years old, standing along Main Road in Green Point, crying. The operator dispatched Metro Police officers attached to the Camera Response Unit to investigate. They interviewed the boy, who confirmed that he had been separated from his parents. The officers managed to get hold of the father and reunited the boy with his family.

Another noteworthy statistic is that, between 1 January 2021 and the end March 2022, the City’s CCTV operators detected 290 incidents of cable damage/vandalism and/or theft, resulting in 39 arrests.

‘This particular success is bittersweet, because sadly, like many other critical services, the City’s CCTV infrastructure is often targeted by criminals. This of course leaves areas without that vital eye in the sky, often repeatedly or for prolonged periods in areas where cable theft is rife. As we await confirmation of the budget and the expansion of our CCTV footprint, I appeal to residents to help safeguard the infrastructure in their areas by blowing the whistle on criminals and vandals. There is little point in making significant investments in public safety if we are not fully exploiting them in ensuring that our communities are safe and that criminals are apprehended and prosecuted to the full extent of the law,’ added Alderman Smith.

Source: City Of Cape Town